The Trickster
by rexlover180
Summary: The wall has been up for centuries. Ivan knows it must be protected, but not why. Alfred knows that he needs to get out, explore the world. The level of magic he possesses, however, attracts Ivan's attention, as well as the attention of Ivan's...advisor. The two clash immediately and neither are going to back down, on any issue that may arise. No matter the magnitude. RusAme.
1. Paralyzer

Chapter 1. Paralyzer.

The wall had always been there. To Ivan, it was their saving grace, it was what protected them. And he knew that well, he was the only one still alive to have seen over the wall, seen the outside world no one else was allowed to see. Ivan had been told by his father (who was finally dead) that it had been up for the past 400 years. Nothing disturbed this peace that lasted and it was Ivan's job now, as the new lord of the town, to protect it.

There was a festival held every year in town to celebrate the wall. The lord never went to such frivolous things, Ivan's father had told him, but what was to stop him now? Only General Winter advised against it, but Ivan had already learned to ignore him if he wanted to. Without the knowledge of the servants, Ivan used simple spells (which General Winter also protested against) to turn his hair and eyes brown. He wore a thick, black cloak to hide most of his body and to help blend in. That, and he could hide the family heirloom he was always forced to carry this way. Ivan's father had always insisted that nobility couldn't be near the townspeople, that they were far too important. Even Ivan's sisters, who lacked magic and were all but ignored by their father, never left the manor. But Ivan was curious. He didn't know many people and he thought that, perhaps, getting to know some townspeople during the festival would be a good chance to make friends.

It was a great idea in theory. However, once he was at the festival, among all of the happy people, he discovered how hard it truly was. He knew no one, none of the songs, none of the jokes, none of the dances. Ivan sighed heavily as he leaned against the nearest building. All of these houses were small and it took a moment for him to understand their living quarters.

He watched as some townspeople danced to music from a band that was very skilled, though far too filthy to ever be allowed in the manor. He smiled slightly at the display, but the frown returned to his face when he noticed once again that everyone was keeping away from him. He knew the reason, sure enough. General Winter had this habit of using ice magic without his own control. As Ivan was forced to carry around the vessel of the spirit at all times, he had sadly grown used to the permanent cold around him that used to surround his father. No one else was trained to be comfortable in the cold, though.

"_Just as I figured this would end,_" General Winter made his opinion known yet again and Ivan chose to ignore him yet again. Still, he was right. After all, what else was Ivan expecting to happen? Some random person would burst through the crowd and want to be his friend? Ivan wasn't even confident enough to try talking to someone.

Just as Ivan was about to move on, however, a new dancer joined the others and Ivan froze in his place. This new man was…breathtaking, to say the least. Everyone else in the crowd cheered unanimously at his appearance and the man grew a wicked smirk as he started to expertly move to the music, twirling around mesmerizingly and clapping his hands to the rhythm. His golden blonde hair weaved around his face with him, bouncing and showcasing his blue eyes that would put the clearest eyes to shame. Even that odd single strand of hair that stuck up wasn't distracting from his beautiful dance. The man went over to various parts of the crowd and dragged multiple onlookers into the dance, teaching them the steps quickly and they learned mostly off of his charisma. With the addition of this new man, the music grew louder, the crowd grew, and everyone seemed to become far more joyful all at once. With the growth of the crowd, more people inched towards Ivan.

"_You will need to kill that man immediately_," General Winter said coldly and Ivan jumped slightly. The air grew slightly colder and Ivan shivered slightly. He looked back to the man, who was smiling and dancing with all of the others.

"What?" Ivan whispered to the spirit, blushing slightly when he saw a person nearby look at him oddly.

"_Of course you don't understand_," General Winter scoffed. "_Just know that the man you seem so taken with is something vile and must be eliminated without delay. Kill him now._"

"Why?" Ivan asked the spirit simply. His father knew all of the "secret", as he referred to the story the spirit had to tell of four and twenty five years ago, and ensured that he kept it safe. Only one man alive could know the story and the spirit did not trust Ivan enough to tell him. So far, the spirit only seemed to want to control Ivan, wrap him around his finger like he had Ivan's father.

"_Don't ask questions. You can use that fowl magic you are so fond of, just kill him quickly._"

"No," Ivan said and General Winter growled. And then the man was in front of Ivan, smiling brightly. Ivan had no words to come out of his mouth with the man so close to him, but then the man acted again to surprise Ivan. He looked at him in the eyes and General Winter said something, but Ivan didn't hear him. Blood was rushing in his ears and he honestly couldn't explain why.

"Hey come on, dude, don't hug the wall," the man laughed, his voice melodious and beautiful. He managed to get a grip on Ivan's arm, pulling him into the open area where the others were dancing. Ivan was so startled and so unused to talking, as well as tongue tied from the man in front of him, that any words he attempted to say came out as a jumbled mess.

"_Very educated_," General Winter scoffed.

"I don't know how to dance," Ivan finally managed out and the man simply smiled at him. It was odd to talk to someone so informally for once in his life, but it was a welcome change.

"The steps are easy," the man laughed and easily stepped into rhythm with all of the others, though a simpler version. He released Ivan, though the lord didn't have much option to run away, in the middle of the crowd. Ivan observed the way their legs and arms moved so naturally and immediately assumed it was too complicated for him to understand. But the man quickly pulled Ivan again, into the dance and Ivan stumbled at first, but eventually got the rhythm and was able to dance, at least a little, with all of the others. And he had fun.

The man disappeared to recruit more people, but Ivan found his wide smile infectious. He laughed with the others for once and he found himself genuinely sad when the music ended for the musicians to prepare for the magic display later that night. Despite not talking to any of the townspeople, Ivan still felt like he was at least making some friends. And then the man disappeared into the crowd and all of the people he passed smiled and said something positive to him. Ivan was curious about this man, but he was sure he couldn't follow him in a crowd like that. Some kind of vendor came through, offering free food that everyone else around Ivan seemed to love.

* * *

><p>Alfred took a deep breath before slowly moving his hand out in front of himself. Another addition of the complex magic set-up he was making appeared and Alfred smirked. This thing was gonna be his best work of art yet. He couldn't wait for everyone else to see it, they'd love it so much more than last year! He was so pumped, he couldn't wait. And having the dance right before that moment made it all the better. He loved dancing and getting everyone else hyped up. Even that really cold guy that looked really awkward got happy when he was dancing and that was definitely more than enough to make Alfred happy.<p>

With another deep breath, Alfred made another addition appear and he nodded at it. It was all set up on the floor as a sort of maze. The magic was shimmering in all different colors and shapes, none larger than his head, but completely full with pure magic. Alfred smirked. Oh, hell yeah, this was gonna be so freaking cool! Once it all fired off, it would look so cool in the sky, like real explosions of color and everything. Alfred remembered figuring this kind of thing out as a kid, accidentally firing off multiple colors into the sky and watching them explode. Everyone else thought it was cool and he made set ups every year for the festival thing, and they got better every time. No one else could do this with their magic, the few people in the town that could use magic and weren't royal mages in the first place.

Everyone thought that Alfred was special because he could use so much magic, but Alfred never really considered it much of a feat. Apparently, no matter what Alfred did with his magic, it as considered amazing, a spectacle for the eyes to behold. Everyone thought that he should try everything he could to improve, study his brains out and become a mage at the manor. In reality, though, Alfred didn't care about that. His magic was just a cool part of his life. All he really wanted to do, his one goal in life, was to get to that stupid wall and see what's over it.

He didn't believe the bullshit everyone else was spouting about the wall protecting them from the outside world. He'd gotten in plenty of trouble trying to find a way to climb that wall, stopped by the stupid soldiers all the damn time. He even got a little prison time for it once, but that stupid Lord Braginski never even glanced at him. He'd even tried a lot of ways to use his magic, but that wall had some kind of barrier on it and that really pissed him off. He'd never known anyone with his level of magic, not even the current mages at the manor, and it made him curious about who put up that wall and the magic they had.

For the time being, though, he focused on what he enjoyed. He didn't care that this festival was about celebrating the wall that kept him prisoner. All that mattered was that he was using magic for the enjoyment of others. It made him happy. So he set up another addition and nodded in approval at where he put it. He knew exactly what he wanted it to look like in his head, it was just putting it down that was the hard part. But he was doing a pretty kick-ass job of it, if he did say so himself.

"That's very interesting, what are you doing?" A voice suddenly asked behind Alfred and he jumped (though he would never admit it) and turned around. That definitely wasn't a voice he recognized, which was odd since he knew nearly everyone in town. Besides, everyone should be enjoying the food of the festival all of the women put together. But when he turned around, he saw that it was the really cold guy, who was still looking awkward as hell, but was trying to act cool. Alfred was slightly suspicious, naturally. Sure, the man's aura was actually quite peaceful, a light violet that shimmered pleasantly, almost reaching out for others. But there was…something else. A pitch black aura that seemed to almost suffocate the man, and Alfred was put on edge just by looking at it. It was like it wanted to kill him.

"Oh, come on, you know," Alfred offered a smile. He couldn't make assumptions. It didn't seem like the man himself wanted to harm Alfred, his aura was more peaceful than even Matthew's, and the aura seemed…mostly contained. Besides, Alfred was never one to feel awkward, no matter the situation. "Unless you've been living under a rock or something." With a wave of his hand, he added another part of the puzzle. It was almost done, and just in time for sunset, too.

"It appears I have," the man sighed and Alfred noticed as the man tilted his head that there was magic in him. That was also another unique skill he had, but he'd only told his brother about that one. He could see magic, it was kind of hard to explain, but he could see it shimmer and he liked it. Nothing compared to the beauty he could see in the magic or people using it. Seeing auras as well was unique, but anyone could do that, Alfred was the only one that did it involuntarily, though. And, yes, this man did have magic, but so did that mysterious black aura, he could guess. It was far too powerful to not have magic. This man was hiding something under that large cloak that hid most of his appearance, but Alfred was never one to pry…too much. Besides, he didn't want to make enemies the day of the festival.

"It's kind of a magic set up, I guess," Alfred shrugged, carefully turning his back to the man. He put down another part. He knew that man wouldn't see as much as Alfred did, but it still looked pretty cool to onlookers before it blew up in the sky. "Just wait until the sun goes down, that's when the show really starts! It'll look so freaking cool!"

"This has been all of your magic alone?" the man asked, stepping forward and staring at the display with interest. Alfred shivered at the cold around him, but ignored it easily enough.

"Yup!" Alfred said proudly, crossing his arms over his chest. And he wasn't even tired yet! He had so much magic energy in him, he didn't think he'd ever run out! "I'm pretty awesome, but if you didn't even know that, what kind of rock have you been living under?"

"My father just didn't want me going out much," the man muttered and Alfred raised an eyebrow. Now that he was talking more, Alfred could hear the slight accent of a more rich person. So that meant this guy was from the houses near the manor. Whatever, Alfred wasn't about to put anything against this guy just because of where he came from. It wasn't like he was Lord Braginski or anything. He did talk very awkwardly, like wasn't used to casual conversation.

"Yeah, well, stick around and you'll see something really cool," Alfred grew a wicked smirk before placing down the last thing he needed. He moved around a few things here and there for last minute adjustments and the sun set over the wall, his signal to get his ass in gear. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes and moving his hand forward, palm down. This would take a lot of focus, considering how huge it was this time around.

He quickly moved his hand up and the first part of the set up rocketed upwards, others following after it. They shot to the sky and exploded, showing off their shimmering colors and making all kinds of shapes. Alfred could already hear the people in the town cheering and applauding. Alfred laughed and put his hand down after it came to the point where he couldn't stop it even if he tried. They were all connected and rocketed to the sky one after the other. He glanced back at the man, who stared in awe at the display. His hood fell, but he didn't seem to mind, and Alfred had a chance to get a good look at his face. He wasn't bad looking and Alfred shrugged. That black aura that he had sensed earlier, though, became much more prominent. It was definitely like something was trying to kill him.

Finally, the last one shot up and the finale Alfred planned finally ended. The applause and cheering increased even more and Alfred bowed to the only person nearby with a wide smile on his face. He would just act nice and pretend the aura wasn't dangerous until it proved that it was. Then he'd retaliate with everything he had.

"Incredible, am I right?" Alfred laughed.

"That is amazing," the man muttered with a soft smile. "How much magic do you have?"

"I dunno," Alfred shrugged. "I've never used it all at once before, so it's anyone's guess, really."

"So this is what I have been missing," the man smiling slightly before muttering something under his breath. Alfred didn't even notice the cold anymore, that dark aura was almost suffocating him and the man. He fought the need to run. The aura was controlled and, as far as the man was concerned, there was no imminent danger. The man meant no harm.

"The party's just started, dude," Alfred laughed and gathered up all of his courage to hold onto the man's arm and pull him back to the crowd. Alfred was almost afraid for a second that the aura would attack him, but the man kept it under control. Alfred laughed again. There would be even more dancing and food and games well into the night. This would be the best festival ever.

* * *

><p><strong>Yay! New story! This one's been on my mind for a while! Like, to the point where it's evolved into this huge, massive jumble of plot bunnies that I can't wait to unleash onto you guys! This'll have a relatively small cast of characters in comparison to the stuff I've written before and, if you can't tell yet, it's a RusAme. I know, my usual's PruCan, but I'm gonna step out of my box a little. There arne't very many side pairings, except maybe FrUK if you squint later.<strong>

**Anyway, updating schedule will be like my last story, "Newsworthy". I'll update only on the weekends because school sucks, but I'll post two to three chapters every weekend. Sound like a deal?**

**Also, I just discovered that we have the option on here to edit pictures for cover images outside of editing we can do outside of the site and so I played with that for maybe half an hour...Hehehe.**

**Anyway, please review! Tell me what you think so far! I've started off with Ivan a lot differently than I usually do, but I like it, you tell me your opinions. There's so many secrets I've already mentions and a whole bunch I haven't even gotten to yet and it's a very exciting time for me!**

**And I do not and never will own any of the various forms of Hetalia.**


	2. At All Costs

Chapter 2. At All Costs.

Alfred whistled as he walked through town, swinging his bag of food for him and his brother in his hand. Everyone he passed by smiled and talked to him, even for just a second. A few people were still congratulating him on his magic set up during the festival and Alfred just laughed, said thanks, and went on his way. As usual, there were the girls that tried to pull him off his usual trail, but he was able to move past them easily. He'd gotten so used to it all.

"Hey, Al, have you heard?" one person asked him. Alfred was pretty sure his name was Jake, but it was hard to keep track of everyone's names in this town. "Those weirdos in that hut near the edge of the wall got up to something again."

"Yeah?" Alfred laughed. "Did Lord Braginski send his usual guards after them again?" It was usually just a rumor, these three guys in a hut right up against the wall, in the middle of the small forest they had. No one really went over to check if the story was true, but new rumors about them would pop up every now and then.

"I heard they tried to climb the wall," another person, Kevin, chimed in the conversation. "They didn't get anywhere near as far as you."

"No one could get as far as Alfred has," Jake laughed.

"Are you still trying to get past your record?" a girl asked as she came up to him. Hannah was her name. She was one of the more clingy ones and Alfred walked a little faster.

"Yeah, I've got this new plan," Alfred smirked. "Just wait 'till you see it, it's definitely gonna work!"

Hannah opened her mouth to talk again, but she was cut off. Someone rushed through the small crowd in front of them, but he had just shown himself. It was Matthew, Alfred's brother, who looked breathless as he quickly approached them. Alfred was surprised, to say the least. Matthew usually never got out of his shell enough to talk to people, let alone shove them out of his way.

"What the hell did you do?" Matthew demanded and Alfred raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, what?" Alfred asked.

"You didn't do anything today?" Matthew gave an exasperated sigh as he panted, regaining his composure.

"No, my plan was actually gonna be in a few days," Alfred shrugged. "What's got you so worried?"

"Guards just came by our house," Matthew muttered. "They…ransacked it looking for you! Lord Braginski has all of his guards searching for you!"

"What the hell?" Alfred snapped. "What does that bastard want with me?" He'd never actually seen Lord Braginski in person, but their parents had talked about him a lot. He was pompous, most likely really old at this point, and he supported that stupid wall. Honestly, if Alfred ever saw him, he'd quite like to punch him right in the face. But at this point it was more important to find out what the man wanted with him.

"I don't know, but we need to hide you before he finds you," Matthew pressed.

"Yeah," Alfred nodded, handing his bag to Jake and taking off, his brother close behind him. There were a few hiding places they had around, for when Alfred got in trouble for climbing the wall, and he knew which was the closest. Matthew was already starting to lag behind and Alfred sighed, holding tightly onto his brother's wrist. "Hurry up, bro, I don't got all day."

"I already ran around town looking for you!" Matthew snapped as he followed his brother, pushing past people and buildings as they ran. Alfred looked around constantly for the guards. Lord Braginski wanted him? Why? It didn't make sense. He hadn't even done anything wrong in weeks.

And then Alfred turned and nearly ran right into a cluster of guards. He scrambled to turn around, nearly running over Matthew in the process, and flicked his hand back at them. A shimmer of magic flowed through the air and the men were practically flung onto their backs a few yards away. Next hiding spot, then. It wasn't too far away. They could make it.

Alfred scrambled to a stop when he saw guards walk right in their way and quickly took a turn. Matthew was getting a lot slower and Alfred gritted his teeth. Maybe he could make a hiding spot somewhere. He looked around and he could see a few shops, but nothing that the guards weren't willing to go through. Why did they want him? With a wave of his hand, he used magic to topple a few boxes over in front of the guards following them and took another sharp turn.

"Matt," Alfred stopped them both in a small alley and looked around. No sign of guards. "Go on your own to a hiding place, I'll lead 'em away and meet you there."

"You're not doing something that risky," Matthew shook his head.

"You're already slowing me down, I'll be faster on my own," Alfred pressed. "There's no time to worry about this. You know me, I'll be fine." Alfred grinned before running out of the alley just in time for the guards to clear the boxes. He pushed through the people, who squealed and screamed as Alfred pushed through. He carefully stooped down as he ran and dragged his hand against the stones, creating a path of ice behind him that caused the guards to tumble down, clattering with their metal armor.

Alfred smirked and stopped when he saw another group of guards that had a mage with them. Alfred quickly assessed the amount of magic he could see from the man's aura and smiled. He could take him, that'd be easy. Alfred simply blew a puff of air and, as the magic shimmered, the group in front of him was blown away and he ran again. He was going to lead them on a wild goose chase and then he'd meet up with his brother at one of their hide-outs. He knew how to cloak himself with magic once he was clear of suspicion. He had to distract them well at first.

Before long, Alfred had made it to another square, but he wasn't even sure anymore if it was the same one he had been in a moment before. He slid to a stop when he saw guards taking up the area he would have used to escape. They had a mage, too. Alfred cursed under his breath. The mage already cast a spell in his direction. Their magic didn't look as good as his own. But Alfred felt the spell and it was fairly strong. They were trying to knock him out.

"It'll take more than one little mage to take me out," Alfred smirked, already preparing a fire spell in his hand. And then he was hit in the back by another spell that heavily weighed on his mind. Alfred gritted his teeth, glancing behind himself. Another three mages with guards around them. Alfred glanced around, there was no one aside from people from the castle were in the square, perfect.

He quickly slammed his hand onto the ground and a wave of fire spread around him. The spells weighing on him didn't go away. He glanced around. There were more mages, he had no idea where they had come from. They had blocked for the other mages before sending more magic his way, weighing him down. He couldn't even count how many anymore, but he could see the thick air of magic around him. He turned to an open exit and ran as fast as he could, but he had already slowed down significantly. He quickly ran into another group of mages and they sent even more magic at him. He was nearly blinded by the spells around him, but he kept moving, albeit sluggishly.

A few more hit him from behind and he stumbled to his hands and knees, groaning slightly. But he refused to give up, he promised his brother he'd find him. He just needed to get out of range, he could do that easily. He started to crawl, slowly creating a spell in his head, but four more mages stood in front of him, sending magic right at him and his arms fell beneath him. His eyelids threatened to close, but he refused to allow it. He couldn't even bring himself to move anything. The magic around him was suffocating. Why the hell did they want him so bad? What had he even done wrong?

"We need one more!" a mage called out and Alfred was hit once more from behind and his eyes finally closed, engulfing him in darkness.

* * *

><p>"<em>You have him in your custody now, kill him while you have the chance,<em>" General Winter said. Ivan simply said nothing. He stared at his desk in his study as he had for the past hour. He'd been told that Alfred was in their custody, thanks to 26 mages. 26. It took 26 mages to take down one man. He knew that Alfred must have had a lot of power, considering all he was able to accomplish on his own, but he never expected that much. All of the mages had considerable magic power and studied nearly constantly, and Alfred had bested 25 of them at once.

After Alfred had left him agains during the festival, Ivan was hell bent on finding out more about the man. He couldn't explain it, he was just…taken with him. That was the best way to describe it, Ivan figured. General Winter was far from pleased. And now, Ivan was sitting in his room. at his desk, attempting to make sense of his emotions to figure out what to do next. He hadn't been in charge of this town for very long and he had just done a risky move. He had deployed all of his men to find Alfred Jones, but General Winter was completely for that move, oddly enough. General Winter wanted this man dead at all costs.

"Why do you wish him dead?" Ivan asked.

"_You don't need to understand before you do as I say_," General Winter said coldly. "_I have been the trusted advisor to your family for four hundred years, do as I say without question, I know what is best for this town._"

"I do not accept that," Ivan shook his head. "Explain yourself to me and I will consider my next action accordingly."

"_Do not fight against me_," General Winter warned.

"Or what? You will freeze me?" Ivan snapped. He was tired of this voice nagging at him in the back of his head, but he was forced to. The stupid family heirloom that held a spirit, doomed to never escape for whatever reason. He did not get along well with the spirit, even as the object he was held in was on the other side of the room. It was a simple metal pipe. It was something the manor used for a water system, though none of the townspeople appeared to be able to use it. It required magic to be able to work properly.

"_I can be a reasonable man_," General Winter sighed. "_I have seen the magic in this man and I know it. This is not something you should play with. Kill that man as soon as you have the chance. Do not offer any kind of sympathy to him, despite your feelings towards him. I will tell you what you need to know in due time._"

"Then I will do what you want in due time," Ivan sighed, shaking his head. No one disturbed him while he was in his room, usually. No one said anything about the fact that he was seemingly talking to himself. Only the lord of the manor knew this secret, not even Ivan's sisters could know. Not even Alfred could know.

"_This is not up for negotiation, Ivan_," General Winter practically spat his name and Ivan narrowed his eyes at the object. "_You will do as I say for the good of the town and the good of the wall that is protecting it._"

That was one of the few secrets Ivan was allowed to know. It was the one he wished he didn't know. He wished he could be like the rest of the town, oblivious to how dangerous the real world is. "Prove to me that it is necessary I kill him."

"_You know of what lies in the secret dungeon_," General Winter said simply. Ah, yes, that. Ivan nodded slowly. Another secret. He didn't know all of it, but there was something incredibly dangerous in the hidden dungeon, something that could easily destroy the entire town if it were let loose.

"What tie does Alfred have to that thing?" Ivan asked.

"_They are one and the same," _General Winter said. "_The magic is familiar. Though you may not be able to see it, I can. Clearly. They are the same and your Alfred must be destroyed before he is allowed to do anything like that thing in the dungeon. How old did you find out he was during your investigation?_"

"He is twenty five," Ivan said simply. He did not see how this was important.

"_Then it is around time anyway_," General Winter muttered.

"I will not kill him," Ivan said. "And I will not allow you to kill him. Until I have good reason."

"_Believe me, you do not want that Trickster alive for much longer. There is incredibly good reason_."

"I look forward to the day when I'm told this reason," Ivan hummed simply.

* * *

><p><strong>Hehehe, yay! Chapter 2! I still can't contain my excitement with all of these secrets. The only one that knows all of them really is General Winter, and another character I vaguely mentioned earlier. I've touched on quite a lot here, but there's still so much and I can hardly control my excitement!<strong>

**Anyway, look forward to the next chapter! We'll get to see Ivan's sisters! Please review!**


	3. Welcome

Chapter 3. Welcome.

It felt like Alfred was in soup. Everything just felt so foggy and like it was weighing him down. He had to breathe in and out heavily to get air into his lungs. He hated it. But he couldn't bring himself to think much. He mind was stuck in the soup and he was clamoring to understand anything. Everything.

And then the soup vanished completely as his eyes opened and he shot forward to sit upright, his glasses skewing slightly on his face. Something fell onto his lap as he immediately took in his surroundings. He was in a lavish room, filled with dark browns and reds that were rich in color and design. Alfred was surprised, to say the least. The bed he was lying on was massive, and that was an understatement, and incredibly soft. The sheets he was lying on were silky soft and he couldn't resist running his hands along them, that was what had fallen onto his lap. There was a desk with a chair in front of it and what looked like an outfit lying on it. Alfred looked down at himself and noticed he was still in the clothing he was in when…when he was taken.

Alfred remembered. He had no idea how he'd forgotten at all what had happened. Lord Braginski had sent nearly his entire collection of guards and mages to take him down, for whatever reason. And now he was laughing at Alfred's face by offering him an outfit to wear and a room? What the hell was going on?

Alfred wasn't about to stay to find out. He swiftly pulled the comforter off of him, despite how warm it was underneath it, and charged right for the door. It didn't matter he didn't have shoes, he could deal with that problem later. All he would have to do is get out of wherever he was, which he assumed was the manor, as fast as possible. He slammed open the door and honestly wasn't surprised when he saw two guards and two mages positioned at the door. He assessed the auras of the mages and smirked. He could take them.

The guards acted quickly to grip onto Alfred's arms and he cast a spell to blow them back…

…

But it didn't work.

"What?" Alfred muttered as the guards gripped onto him and the mages gave him a smug look. Alfred gritted his teeth and fought back against the guards with everything that he had while they forced him back into the room. The guards were incredibly strong and their metal armor dug into Alfred's skin and he was forced to give up once he stood at the bed post. "What the hell am I doing here?"

The guards were silent as they stood where they were, as if assuring that Alfred wouldn't move. Alfred forced his arms down and stayed still, glaring at the two. Alfred was fuming. What the hell happened to his magic? Not only did it not feel right, but nothing was coming out. He even tried to do something, anything, a small puff of air, but he couldn't even see his own magic anymore.

"What did you do to my magic?" Alfred demanded as the guards moved to the doors. One of the mages was smug enough to speak up, thankfully, but Alfred didn't like what he heard.

"We're dampening it," the mage said simply and Alfred froze as the doors closed in front of him. What? Dampening? No way, he would be able to see the magic around him if they were doing that. And it would take more than two….But would it take more than two to simply maintain it? What if all of the ones that took him down were doing this. "Dammit!" Alfred snapped and punched at the bed post, which splintered slightly. He wasn't stupid enough to try to punch at a wall or a person, not in this case. He glared at the clothing sitting on the desk and rolled his eyes. He walked over to the single window and glared outside of it. He was high up in the manor, maybe five stories up. It wouldn't be safe to jump down. Still, he tried opening the damn thing and it didn't even budge.

He was stuck with a view of the wall in front of him, stone covered in moss and vines. The manor was the closest thing to the wall, nothing else was allowed to be so close to the wall. Aside from the mysterious legend of the three in the forest, but not even Lord Braginski listened to that, now did he? Alfred huffed and looked around the room. He never looked very closely at the manor, but it was more like a castle, from what he read in books. This place was made out of bricks and stone, not wood like a house or manor. And it was huge, but he already knew that part from looking at it from the outside. But it wasn't taller than the wall. Nothing was taller than the wall, lest someone see over it.

He looked at the outfit a little closer. It was a light blue, the same color as his own eyes, or pretty damn close. There was no way that he was going to dress in it, the Lord would have to dress him in it himself if he wanted that. Alfred huffed as he started to pace. He needed a plan to get out of there and meet up with his brother as soon as possible. They had no good reason to keep him there, what the hell even was this? If he was a prisoner, he'd be in the dungeon, below the manor. But, no, he was being treated like a special guest with guards at his door.

He felt his stomach grumble. Alfred sighed. Maybe they'd be kind enough to supply food to someone as low as him, but that was too much to hope for and he knew that. He glanced at the outfit once more. There were even boots on the ground, obviously made of better leather than Alfred had. What? Did the lord use different cows than the rest of them? All of the cows they had for the town were on the same pasture. Alfred rolled his eyes. Everyone else in town barely had enough to eat and they were all constantly hungry, but he was sure that the lord and his family would eat massive meals every day.

He slumped onto the bed and glared at the window, glared at the wall.

"What do you want from me?" Alfred muttered to himself.

* * *

><p>Alfred stepped hesitantly, the new leather on the boots hitting the ground loudly. He pulled at the collar of the stupid new shirt around his neck. He hated it. He hated this. He was told by the stupid guards that the only way for him to eat would be for him to dress up in that stupid, blue outfit, and go to the main dining hall for dinner. Alfred had no idea how long it had been since his last meal, but he felt hungrier than usual. And so he obliged. He was sure Lord Braginski would get a kick out of seeing Alfred do his bidding. The outfit was simple, at the very least, but it was still very blue and Alfred didn't like it, he preferred his simple, brown clothing. But he was sure those would be burned while he was gone.<p>

He was being escorted by the two mages and two guards, who didn't make moves to restrain him, just keep him walking in the right direction. They reached the doors and Alfred didn't make a move to straighten out for this mysterious lord or whatever. The guards opened them boisterously and they revealed a huge room with a huge table and only three places set up in the middle of the table. Already, two women were sitting at the table, one on either side. It was perfectly quiet, both women looking at the intruders, before they returned to their meals.

The one sitting beside the only empty place was obviously younger with long, ashen hair and cold blue eyes. She didn't seem very welcoming. The other was much more inviting. She had a small smile on her face with short hair, the same ashen color, and light, happy blue eyes. Not to mention the fact that she was very gifted in the chest region, but Alfred simply blushed and looked away while the guards forced him to move forward. Both women were dressed in huge dresses and Alfred noticed that they were the same blue as his outfit. The guards stopped him in front of the chair that held the empty placemat.

"What the fuck is this?" Alfred finally spoke up and both women stopped. The kinder looking one looked up at him with surprised eyes while the other one simply glared at her food. "What the hell is going on?"

"Brother is gracing you with a meal," the younger one muttered. "You should be thankful, brat."

"Don't mind her," the big chest…hearted one smiled at him and gave a polite nod. "My name is Katyusha. My sister is Natalia. We are happy to have you for our meal."

"And so where's Lord Braginski?" Alfred asked. No way, he wasn't about to be fooled by the nice façade they were putting up. He had to know what was going on, no matter what.

"Brother usually doesn't eat dinner with us," Natalia muttered under her breath. Brother? Wasn't Lord Braginski really old? Maybe it was just how she referred to him. It didn't matter. Alfred was on a mission. To find out about his situation. These people were apparently allowed to speak.

"He can't make it, he's busy with work," Katyusha smiled. "Sit. Have a nice meal. Your name is Alfred, right?"

"So he fucking kidnaps me, forces me to come to dinner, and he's not even fucking here?" Alfred snapped, rolling his eyes. "Wow, I'm fucking honored."

Natalia was on her feet in seconds, her chair clattering to the ground. Alfred hardly registered what had happened, it was all so fast. But, suddenly, his cheek stung and he saw Natalia standing in front of him with a sharp knife in her hands that she was just using for her food with blood dripping from it.

"Did you just-"

"Do not insult Brother again," Natalia glared at him and Alfred felt the temperature of the room drop significantly. "Or I will not be so nice with the next wound."

"Sure," Alfred nodded numbly, his fingers going to trace over his scar, which was now mostly healed thanks to his subconscious healing magic. At least that was one thing he could be thankful for. That worked. Natalia swiftly righted her seat and a servant came forward to give her a new knife. Alfred slowly took his own seat beside her, giving plenty of space between the two.

"This is supposed to be your welcome dinner," Katyusha offered another smile. "We don't really mean you any harm. Natalia can just be…eccentric."

"Whatever you want to call it," Natalia muttered.

"Lord Braginski…" Katyusha obviously hesitated at the name. "He said he liked the color of your eyes and thought it would be nice to welcome you with that color."

"I noticed," Alfred muttered. Not like that wasn't creepy or anything. Of course not, it's perfectly normal for people to be kidnapped and welcomed by wearing the same color as their eyes. Naturally. He stared at the food. So Lord Braginski was too busy for this grand welcome, huh?

"You should eat," Katyusha smiled at him.

"Why should I eat when the great lord has yet to grace me with his presence?" Alfred rolled his eyes, leaning back in his seat. "No way."

"You should not stop yourself from eating," Katyusha shook her head, but that wasn't the only thing that shook.

"Go ahead and starve yourself, that will be easier on Brother," Natalia said and Katyusha sighed.

"Yeah, well, I want answers," Alfred said. "I've gone hungry longer than this, I'll be fine. But there's no way I'm eating without the guy that demanded my presence here in the first place. Two can play this game."

"Brother does not like games," Natalia said coldly, making a show of taking a bite off her fork and Alfred glared at her.

"He really liked playing Tag earlier," Alfred shrugged.

"He is very busy," Katyusha sighed apologetically. "I think it would be for the best that you eat now. For your own health. You will meet the lord soon, don't worry."

"Yeah, I'm sure I'll meet him," Alfred smirked. This man wanted him in the manor so bad that he kidnapped him, there was no way Lord Braginski would allow him to starve. He'd come and eat if it meant keeping Alfred alive. Then he'd have a little chat with Lord Braginski, find a way out of his hell hole.

The dinner was quiet, the forks and knives of the women occasionally hitting their plates and making an odd sound. Alfred stayed seated where he was, glaring at the mages and soldiers still in the room. He refused to play this game. They couldn't make him, no matter what power they thought they had. Alfred could play this game, too.

He just had to be patient.

* * *

><p><strong>No Ivan this chapter, but he'll be around next time, no worries. I'm so happy, partially because at first Ivan's sisters were not a part of this story at all, but I decided I needed them a few weeks ago. So here they are! They're not exactly major characters, but they're as major as a few people you haven't even met yet, so you know. Anyway, I'm just really happy at this point, so I'm rambling. And I should go.<strong>

**So, yeah, please review! It's very nice of you! I know it's kind of slow now, but it'll pick up in later chapters, I swear. I just need to build up tension (between Alfred and Ivan and other things) and then things can get rolling properly!**


	4. Ghost

Chapter 4. Ghost.

Ivan sighed heavily as he leaned against his desk. There was so much to do and he was just so exhausted. He never really knew how much work his father had to go through. There was the idea of a new plan that had to be created for their food supply to assist with the hungry townspeople. Sure, there was plenty of food during that festival, but that was a special occasion, and he came to understand through their basic conversations that they would be hungry for some time afterwards. He wanted to help, sure, but they couldn't do a lot. They had to stay isolated, stay in the room allotted to them. Then there was the problem of the wall and the fact that there were cracks that had to be taken care of. However, General Winter refused to use his magic to allow them to get close enough to fix it. He was the only one with enough magic to actually pull it off, as well. Aside from maybe Alfred…

There was a knock at Ivan's door.

"Do not interrupt us," Ivan answered easily. This had been perhaps the fifth time someone had tried to talk to him and Ivan knew it was far past his time to eat, but he was busy. That, and he also felt that it was unfair he could eat at any time he wanted when others in his town were practically starving.

"Milord," a servant muttered, almost sounding scared. Ivan flinched at the sound of the person's voice. "It is about Alfred Jones." Ivan's attention increased. "He is…refusing to eat."

"Why?" Ivan asked, already starting to stand up.

"He's said that he won't eat unless you are there, Milord," the servant said.

"That foolish…" Ivan muttered under his breath. He fully stood and glanced at the pipe sitting against the door. General Winter had said hardly a word since Alfred had come to the manor, but Ivan was just fine with that. "We will be there in a moment." Ivan swiftly picked up the pipe and stowed it in its usual place, behind his large coat. The servant walked away and Ivan swiftly left the room, already walking over to the dining room, where he had instructed the servants to take Alfred to eat with his sisters. He hadn't heard much news about how everything went and he assumed that was good. But Alfred was forcing his hand, evidently.

"_If this Trickster insists on being foolish, you should just kill him while you have the chance_," General Winter said pointedly and Ivan rolled his eyes, continuing on his way. He had no idea what Alfred's purpose was in refusing to eat, but Ivan was going to stop this in its tracks. He swiftly opened the door and paused in the doorway. He chuckled slightly as he stepped further inside. "_Now would be the perfect opportunity_."

"Please be quiet," Ivan sighed and stepped forward, walking towards Alfred. His head was resting on his arms, which were crossed on the table. He was fast asleep. Ivan noticed that his food had yet to be touched, pushed forward by Alfred's arms as he stayed fast asleep. Ivan smiled slightly, patting Alfred's back. "You are funny."

Ivan felt his stomach growl and had to wonder how hungry Alfred was. He had refused to eat this meal, had been asleep for a day already…and who knows how long ago his previous meal was. There was also the fact that he used a lot of magic attempting to get away from the mages and soldiers. Ivan knew full well how much energy magic used up and how that would only make Alfred hungrier. And yet he just refused this meal. There were no mages or soldiers in the room, most likely due to his older sister thinking they were no longer necessary. Ivan did feel bad for suppressing Alfred's magic like he was, but there was no other choice if he wanted Alfred there with him.

And…he wanted Alfred there. His first friend…And he was intriguing, with his magic and his personality. Ivan sighed as he looked over Alfred. He couldn't be comfortable, but Ivan wasn't sure if he could move him without waking the man up. And he was sure Alfred wasn't quite happy about his current situation, either.

And yet, in the back of Ivan's head, he felt General Winter's rage. That unexplainable rage that boiled and Ivan had to fight to make sure he wasn't affected by it. Just the mere sight of Alfred made General Winter so mad that Ivan was sure the temperature of the entire manor would drop. And General Winter refused to explain himself, no matter how many questions he asked. Honestly, Ivan had to fight the urge to hold onto the spirit's vessel and kill Alfred in that moment of his weakness.

Ivan stumbled backwards and quickly left the dining hall, slamming the door closed behind him. He took deep breaths, trying to recover his sanity. He had to wonder just how controlled his own father was by General Winter, without even saying anything about it. He was…scared. Terrified. What would he have done if he had less control? Would he have…killed?

"Brother?"

The voice barely registered in his head as his legs fell beneath him and he sat on the ground. He couldn't kill. He would be able to get a handle on General Winter, not the other way around, dammit.

"Brother." Ivan jumped slightly when he noticed his sister was kneeling in front of him. He internally cursed himself, allowing him to show weakness to his sister. And his younger one, at that. "Are you alright, brother?"

"We are fine," Ivan muttered and quickly stood. He was careless. He would make sure that never happened again.

"You were not at dinner, were you busy?" Natalia asked simply, wasting no time in holding onto Ivan's arm as she always did. Ivan didn't mind, it was a dose of normalcy. Thankfully, General Winter was staying quiet again.

"Yes," Ivan nodded. "We have been dealing in matters involving the townspeople and their food."

"If you ask me, they're apparently getting enough," Natalia frowned. "That peasant refused to eat, no matter what Bobble Boobs said."

"He will eat in due time," Ivan sighed and began to walk, Natalia easily walking in step with him. It looked like Natalia didn't have a knife on her today, which was relaxing enough. "Do not worry about him."

"I have never done any such thing," Natalia scoffed. "I only care for you, brother. Have you reconsidered my offer?"

Ivan sighed quietly under his breath. He had to admit, his sister was rather crazy. She seemed to think that the ideal way to continue the family line would be within the royal family. However, Ivan's only love he held for his sister was as a brother, never a lover. Natalia never seemed swayed by his answer, however.

"We do not think it is possible, sister," Ivan said. There was also the feelings he might be feeling for Alfred, though he already knew that would leave them without an heir of any kind to speak of. However, the magic level would not disappoint.

"Then I will wait for you to be ready," Natalia smiled.

"You should sleep, sister," Ivan suggested as they were close to his room. "We would also like to sleep alone." He already knew the question his sister would ask him.

"Whatever you want, brother," Natalia smiled and stepped back. Ivan felt a small amount of relief. "I just wanted to make sure you were not overworking yourself."

"I have been working very hard not to," Ivan muttered to himself and entered his room, closing the door heavily behind him. He ran a hand through his hair and smiled slightly. His sister at least allowed his thoughts to return to normal after what had happened in the dining hall.

"_You should never take my advice for granted_," General Winter's ominous voice reminded him in the back of his head. "_What I am saying is for the best of this town and for you. If I say to kill that man, you should follow my orders just like all of your ancestors before you._"

"Did you give them a choice?" Ivan muttered darkly.

"_No situation like this has ever risen before_," General Winter said. "_You need to realize what you know is not always the best_."

"Perhaps you should listen to your own advice," Ivan said. "Nothing that man has done has warranted his death."

"_That is where you are wrong_."

* * *

><p><em>Please<em>

Alfred woke up with a start, his back side aching from his uncomfortable position in the chair. His food remained in front of him, cold. The room had a chilly air about it as well, making the hairs on his neck stand on end. He shivered.

_Someone_

That voice…Alfred immediately stood up from where he sat and glanced around the room. Vague moonlight shone into the room and that served as his only light. It was kind of creepy, in all honesty. But he wasn't about to admit that.

_Anyone_

The voice sounded so sad, so helpless. Alfred glanced around but couldn't find any kind of source for this voice.

"Who the hell are you?" Alfred demanded. "Come out!"

_Please_

The voice continued like it didn't hear him.

"I know you can hear me!" Alfred shouted. His stomach growled viciously and Alfred felt almost hollow in his stomach. He glanced at the food and bit his lip. He had more important things to deal with at this point. "Come out and show your face!"

_I'm alone_

"Stop being creepy!" Alfred snapped.

_There's no one there_

"Come on!" Alfred groaned, desperately looking around for any kind of source, but at the same time, he was afraid to turn his back anywhere. No, he was definitely not afraid, no way in hell. This was just…his hunger talking. It was making him imagine things, yeah that was the perfect explanation. "Dammit, you're not even real." Alfred stormed towards the door. Maybe he should get some rest, that would be a good idea.

_I have no hope_

Alfred shook his head and reached for the door, but he paused. That voice…It was so lost and depressed. And he was a hero after all, right? He had to try and help, even if it was a fake voice. It was like…training, right?

_But I've known that all along_

"Nope." Alfred muttered. No way, he had to leave. That was some kind of spirit, if it was real. And any spirit was not good, he knew that much. He opened the door widely and stepped out, walking quickly through the dark hallways. He touched a wall as he was about to push away to turn quickly.

_I thought I had sensed something_

That voice was so loud, ringing through his head, and Alfred yelled out in surprise, definitely not in fear, and ran as fast as he could. It was like that voice was right there, but not in the real world, inside of his head. It was terrifying, shaking him to his core, but he'd never admit that out loud. Never.

He reached his room and slammed the door closed, lighting every candle in the room immediately with his magic. He was still suppressed, but by mages that were at a distance. But lighting the candles was a simple feat for him. The room was bright as Alfred caught his breath. What the hell was that voice because that wasn't in his imagination. That sound, that…it was so close, like it was real. He couldn't shake that feeling inside of him that something was wrong with that voice.

The desperation, the sorrow, the loneliness, when the voice entered his head, so did all of those feelings. That was probably what scared him the most. Those feelings settled deep in his chest and even then they refused to leave.

Alfred ran a hand through his hair as he stared at his room. To think, his life had been so normal just a few days prior.

* * *

><p><strong>So much…so much happened and I'm so, incredibly happy! God, you guys don't even understand just how excited I am for this whole story! Why does General Winter hate Alfred so much? What was that voice Alfred heard? You won't know for a while, but they're still important questions for all of you guys to ask and try to find out! <strong>

**Oh, and before people get confused, Ivan, depending on the situation uses the royal "we" when speaking. This is how his father taught him how to speak to everyone. However, he didn't use this at the festival so he could be more normal. He doesn't particularly enjoy it, but he does it mostly due to his position. It's also great for irony, considering the fact that he is never truly alone with General Winter always with him, so in some cases he could be referring to both of them, or he's closing himself off, emotionally, like when he's talking to Natalia. Lots of characterization with how Ivan refers to himself, so I'd suggest looking out for that in the future!**

**Anyway, please review! Because it's nice! Tell me if things aren't making sense and I can explain as much as I can to you guys!**


	5. Hunger

Chapter 5. Hunger.

Alfred's stomach growled as he sat at the table, glaring down at his food. It looked so damn good. It was breakfast and, though he didn't enjoy being woken up so early, it looked delicious. But Lord Braginski still hadn't shown himself and so Alfred refused to eat. Despite what the two girls in the room said or did to him.

"I can hear your stomach," Natalia grumbled, taking an obvious bite of meat. "Eat, you don't need to be a brat."

"Lord Braginski's being the brat," Alfred muttered. What kind of guy didn't eat regular meals?

"I told you to not speak poorly of brother," Natalia growled at him and Alfred shivered, turning away. She had no knives on her placemat, but that didn't mean she couldn't wield her fork and do some damage. "Eat the food he is offering to you and do not make him endure more stress than he has to! You already caused him so much stress last night."

"Yeah? What the hell did I do?" Alfred snapped. "He was the one that didn't even show up to dinner."

"He showed up after you fell asleep with your food in front of you," Natalia rolled her eyes and Katyusha tried to protest, but Natalia continued to speak. Alfred blinked in surprise. Lord Braginski had actually come? Was it to actually talk or was it to yell at Alfred for causing him problems? "He left this room looking terrified and mad and I had to calm him down. I love him and obviously you don't feel anything for him. I will not stand for that. At least eat the food he is offering to you."

"The second he shows that he's not the bastard I think he is, I will treat him with respect," Alfred said. He tightened his hands into fists. Damn it, he was feeling sorry for this guy, but he refused to. He couldn't do that, he had his values and they were set in stone. "And I'll eat his damn food."

"I am sure brother will show up this morning," Katyusha chatted casually, motioning to the place mat beside her, which was empty. It was better than the night before, where there was nothing there. "He likes breakfast."

"Maybe just not with this brat here," Natalia muttered and Alfred glared at her. His stomach growled again and he stopped himself from saying anything else. There were soldiers and mages in the room and he was sure if this turned into some kind of fight, he'd be screwed. He had to think of some kind of way out of there, but it wasn't going to happen with his magic. Maybe he'd be able to find a way around the soldiers and go exploring, then he'd find something interesting. Maybe even helpful.

The door opened and Alfred's attention perked up from his food. Would this finally be the infamous Lord Braginski? At first, Alfred didn't pay much attention to the man, he was just kind of tall with his daunting frame hidden by a large jacket. But then Alfred noticed something familiar. The man's face…he was that guy from the festival. He recognized the aura and the ominous aura surrounding it immediately. Alfred should have noticed sooner that that man's hair and eyes were cloaked with magic. How had he been so fucking stupid?

"You!" Alfred stood from his seat, not even flinching as the chair clattered to the ground. The man in the doorway halted slightly before allowing a small smile to settle on his face before walking further into the room, Alfred continuing to glare at him.

"You recognize us?" Lord Braginski hummed. "That is rather nice of you."

"You smug little bastard," Alfred growled. What the hell was the lord of the town doing at that festival? Alfred had actually talked to him, treated him kindly, but he deserved none of it. All this man deserved was a solid punch in the face for forcing the town behind that damned wall. "What the fuck were you doing at the fes-" Alfred's mouth was forced shut and he saw the magic trailing from the man's fingers. And Alfred's glare grew harder. This man dared to shut him up? Oh, he was going to kill him.

"We would not spread that secret," Lord Braginski advised as Alfred attempted to launch himself over the table to hit that stupid smile off his face, but soldiers held him back easily. He was still forced into silence. But he was confused, what the hell did the man mean by "we"? There was only one of him. The two sisters stayed quiet, looking at their food. Natalia seemed to take slight interest in the commotion, however, eyeing them out of the corner of her eye. "You may sit down if you would like." The man smiled even wider and used magic to prop Alfred's chair back up. The soldiers all but pushed Alfred back into the seat and released him at Lord Braginski's request. The man sat down and glanced at Alfred's plate. "Why have you not eaten yet?" Alfred's mouth was finally released from the spell and his glare stayed set in place.

"Lost my appetite," Alfred growled, biting back any curse words or insults that came to mind. It wasn't like he was scared of the lord or anything, he just hated the idea of being shut up before he could think of something clever to say.

"Well, your foolish request of our presence has been granted," Lord Braginski nodded to him and easily used his utensils to dig into his food. Alfred was surprised that they didn't turn to ice, considering how cold the aura coming off of him was. He now understood why Katyusha had come to the meal with a scarf on. "You may eat as you please."

"I do not understand why you insist on having this peasant with us," Natalia finally spoke and Alfred noticed the man soften slightly when looking at his sister. He could see the resemblance with how they held their knives. "He is not very good company."

"We have our reasons," Lord Braginski said simply.

"Well, now that you are here, we can all finally enjoy our meal," Katyusha offered a reassuring smile and Alfred just glared at his food. It was fairly silent in the room, the three siblings intent on enjoying their peaceful quiet.

Alfred gritted his teeth. So this was all normal to them? Not minding that Alfred was wasting food? Sitting around in their stupid, opulent clothing that they changed every day. Today Alfred was demanded to wear green and brown colors and the others seemed to dress to their heart's content. They acted leisurely, like there was no problem in the world. It pissed Alfred off. He'd been kidnapped and forced into…this?

"Fuck this," Alfred stood up, the chair merely sliding back. Natalia simply glared at him and Katyusha gasped in surprise. Lord Braginski, however, looked at him with amused interest. That was definitely enough to piss Alfred off.

"You can return to your room if you would like," the lord commented simply as he continued with this food.

"Better than sitting around here," Alfred growled and stormed to the door, glaring at the random servant that opened it for him. This was all so stupid and pointless! He glared at the guards and mages that followed him and gave out an exasperated groan. Without thinking of the consequences, he punched at the nearest wall.

He froze when he felt an odd feeling reverberate through him and he was blinded by a burst of magic. When he got his vision back, however, and glanced around, he was surprised to see the four people with him passed out, on the ground. Alfred glanced at the wall and then to his uninjured fist. He didn't even feel any pain. He stepped backwards. That was definitely not his magic…

But Alfred went with it. He had to. He needed a way around the guards and this was perfect. He still couldn't use his own magic, but that was fine. He quickly darted down the hallway, into a section of the manor he hadn't seen yet. There were no servants or guards around and so he was able to stroll fairly calmly, unnoticed by anyone. He smirked as he glanced out the windows and saw nearly all of the town before him. They were right up against the wall, but he could see the other end of it. The cage he was in.

Alfred turned his attention to two rather large doors to his left and paused in his walking. It was interesting, though it probably didn't lead anywhere that could get him out of there. He started to hear footsteps and voices, however, and swiftly darted inside, closing the door as quietly as possible behind him, his back to the room he had just entered. He listened carefully, hoping no one could hear or see him. The guards that walked by didn't even notice him and he let out a sigh of relief.

He finally glanced into the room he was in and his jaw dropped. The room was massive, at least a whole other story high with shelves bursting with books of every color. Papers littered the floor and there was only one desk that looked heavily used. Meaning only one person really used this place. Alfred was speechless. He'd never seen so many books at once. His mother used to get a few from the baker and that was how Alfred learned how to read, something that he loved dearly. With an excited smile, Alfred darted to the nearest bookshelf and stared at the many titles that presented themselves to him. There were words he didn't recognize and names of what seemed like millions of people.

That was when an idea popped into Alfred's head. They might have history records here, including information on the wall. Alfred hummed and stared at the massive room. He could find history records if he looked hard enough, he was sure. He took a small step back and bit his lip. Maybe he could try to use just a little bit of magic to help him out. This was important, after all. With a deep breath, Alfred closed his eyes and focused. It took quite a lot of energy out of him, but he managed something. He opened his eyes and saw a magic trail from his feet, leading to a bookcase near the back, with plenty of stray papers falling out of it and pouring onto the floor.

Alfred followed it and saw a small trail leading to a shelf just above his nose and he stared at them intently. "Population Records." "Building Records." "Early Years." So many titles lined up for him to read.

"Jackpot," Alfred smirked and pulled a few of the books from the shelves and opening a few of them. The text was small and hand-written, but very neatly and Alfred hummed contentedly to himself. As long as no one disturbed him, maybe he could find something out. "Suck it, Milord," Alfred laughed as he looked at the hardly used couch, which actually looked incredibly comfortable. He heavily plopped himself on it and opened to the first page of one of his books. He had to squint slightly as he read, skipping a few of the words here and there. He sighed when he realized that the first part of the book was just a lot of what he already knew.

Groaning, he flipped to the middle and read through some of that. Just some stuff glorifying the wall about protecting against unknown enemies. Alfred went to near the end and it talked about the risks gone to in order to protect the damn thing. Alfred tossed that book aside with a sigh and picked up the next one. After a few minutes, Alfred deduced that it said pretty much the same thing as the first one.

"Doesn't he have anything good?" Alfred scoffed as he opened the next one. It at least had something original, something about the ancient magic barrier around the wall, but it didn't say anything about weak points or who or what created it. It was all just so confusing. He was so into his reading that he ignored his stomach continuing to growl and the fact that he was starting to get light-headed.

* * *

><p><strong>And they finally meet again! Yay! Alfred's a bit of a rebellious champ, ain't he? But what about that wall and the magic that came out of it? How interesting, I know exactly what's up, but that's all up to you guys to figure out! Not a lot happened in this chapter, really, but I am excited for next time, because relationship blooming time!<strong>

**And I'm sorry I didn't update yesterday, I got the new Pokémon game and I've gotten a tad bit distracted...Okay, a lot distracted.**

**Anywho…I hope you enjoyed and don't forget to leave a nice, little review there at the bottom!**


	6. Planned

Chapter 6. Planned.

Ivan all but screamed as he slammed his fist into the brick wall in front of him. He breathed deeply as he glared at his mangled, bleeding, throbbing hand. The water that moved carefully through the pipes with magic beat at his back, but Ivan paid it no mind. He had to collect his thoughts, control his anger. He had never been so happy that his damned pipe was in the other room.

~10 minutes prior~

The room was suffocatingly quiet after the scraping of Alfred's chair and his departure. No one dared to speak, not Ivan or his sisters or the servants still in the room. Ivan usually liked it this way, a chance for everything to be quiet. General Winter generally left him alone during meals due to his boredom of such mundane affairs. This quiet, though, was not what Ivan wanted. He sighed heavily as he dropped his utensils onto his plate with a loud clatter and stood.

"We will be back," Ivan sighed and leaned over the table to pick up Alfred's untouched plate. The damned kid would eat. Ivan swiftly left the room and started towards the room he had Alfred staying in. He knew the guards and mages would work together to keep him on the right track and so he simply walked in that direction, but he stopped in his tracks when he saw the four bodies on the floor, all of them breathing, but far from conscious. "Winter."

"_I see you understand your mistake of allowing him to live_," General Winter said smugly.

"Is he still in the manor?" Ivan asked calmly, but he gripped hard onto the plate in his hand. However the man managed to actually break from the guards, Ivan had to ensure that he would be back in Ivan's custody soon. Alfred fascinated him as much as General Winter feared him, it was important to keep him close. And Ivan knew the spirit, he had a massive amount of magic energy that he could use if he was willing. Ivan also knew this was one of those times General Winter would use it.

"_Yes, and his magic is still controlled, he didn't take out the mages like he planned, evidently_," General Winter sighed and Ivan nodded. Good. Alfred was still controlled. With magic like that, if he were allowed to use it freely, he would surely escape, considering how much he obviously hated living at the manor. If only Ivan had the luxury of escaping as well…

"Where?" Ivan asked, struggling to keep his calm. General Winter's emotions were seeping into him again. The anger, the murderous intent. He couldn't let it cloud his thoughts, no. He had to just keep Alfred safe. The boy hadn't eaten in a while, Ivan knew that. He needed food. That was the only reason he was searching for him. Not to kill him.

"_Your library,_" General Winter said smugly and Ivan gritted his teeth. The library was a private place for him and him alone. No one else entered, despite it being unlocked. Even his father didn't enter, mostly due to a spell Ivan had cast on it to deter that man specifically. That didn't help the rage General Winter was feeding him. "_He has no sense of privacy, does he?_"

"That does not warrant his death," Ivan said pointedly and quickly walked down the hallway to his library. It wasn't long before he opened the door. A part of him had irrationally expected it to be in disarray, but it was still fairly orderly. He peered carefully into the room, perhaps the spirit had gotten this wrong.

But Ivan saw a figure on the couch near the back and sighed heavily.

"You will need to understand the rules here, whether or not you want to stay here," Ivan told the man as he strode forward to greet him. As he stood in front of the man, however, he noticed something was off. Alfred was lying down on the couch, a few books and papers strewn on his body and the floor. And his eyes were closed, a book half open in his hands as he laid limp.

"_He is defenseless_," General Winter said pointedly and Ivan shook away the thought. He cast a simple spell to ascertain Alfred's physical state and sighed heavily when he found that Alfred was malnourished and immensely hungry. It was what caused his current state. "_Kill him now, Ivan._"

"No," Ivan muttered. He took a deep, calming breath. He had to focus, Alfred was in desperate need of food. Ivan glanced at the papers and found that they were public records. That was curious. Yes, Ivan collected documents like that but he never read them. He stayed more in the fiction collection that he had. What interest did Alfred have in something like that?

Focus. He had to focus on the matter at hand. Alfred needed to eat.

"_Kill him_," the voice in Ivan's head said when he moved his hand to wake up the man. He stopped, watching his hand shake. He was being affected. It had actually crossed his mind to strangle Alfred where he laid right there. Ivan dropped the plate in his other hand and swiftly moved to the other side of the room, bumping into the bookshelf behind him. This wouldn't do. He wouldn't be able to do this himself, he would have a servant or something do it. Alfred needed to eat and Ivan didn't really need to be there for it. He swiftly attempted to compose himself as best as he could before striding out of the room. He found the nearest servant, a small girl, and fought to control his hand to not crush anything as he instructed her on what to do. She obediently entered Ivan's library, looking hesitant to do so.

Ivan sent another servant to give an apology to his sisters for the fact that he would not return to their dinner. Then, without wasting more time, Ivan went back to his own room, slamming the door shut and using magic to keep it from splintering. He haphazardly tossed the damn pipe to the side and entered the small room inside of his own, using his magic to start the shower. He didn't even care that he had yet to undress. The water was incredibly cold as it hit him. And he did the only thing he could think of to fully calm himself down.

Ivan all but screamed as he punched the wall in front of him.

He fell to the ground, cradling his hand that he could use magic on any moment to heal, but he allowed it to throb and bleed onto the ground. He harsh slaps of reality helped him return to normal. After a few more breaths, he stood up quickly. He undressed and tossed his clothing to the side as he healed his hand and turned the temperature of the water up to a more comfortable temperature.

"_You overreacted_," General Winter, his voice smaller now that he was in a different room.

"Shut up!" Ivan yelled. "I do not need you."

"_You need me more than you know if you are unable to accomplish this simple task_," General Winter said.

"It is you that needs me," Ivan growled. "You cannot kill him, no matter how much you want to. You need me to kill him with my hands because you have none of your own! I will not listen to you! So be quiet."

"_I know what is best for this town_," General Winter said. "_For this world. There have been countless others like him born into this world and we have been unlucky that none of them have appeared in this town. One finally has. We have the luck to kill him before he can do anything._"

"Then you can kill him yourself," Ivan snapped. "Without any of my help."

"_You are foolish_," General Winter sighed.

"You are not worth my time," Ivan muttered.

* * *

><p>Alfred blearily looked at the girl in front of him as he shakily ate the food she had offered to him. He really overestimated himself and underestimated his hunger. He had passed out, he was so stupid. And Lord Braginski had apparently caught him in this "secret library" of his and got freaking pissed off. Whatever, Alfred didn't care. He'd come back if he could. But those chances were slim with new soldiers and mages sitting in the room with them, watching as he slowly ate and drank from the cup that the girl had brought him.<p>

"We done babysitting me now?" Alfred sighed after he ate pretty much all he was sure he could handle. He wasn't stupid, he wasn't about to gorge himself, no matter how much he wanted to. He had experience with hunger, he wasn't about to puke anything up and make matters worse for himself.

"You should eat more," the girl offered and Alfred shook his head.

"I _can't_," Alfred sighed. "This is fine for now, I'll eat more next time, kay?"

The girl nodded and took the plate and glass before turning to leave the room. The guards motioned for Alfred to stand up wordlessly. Alfred simply sighed heavily and stood up, a little shakily, and followed them with a roll of his eyes. His magic was still gone and there was no magic wall around this time to help him, so he could only follow as he was lead through the hallways, back to his room. The guards basically shoved him inside and Alfred slumped against the closed and locked door. He hated that he let his guard down so much that Lord Braginski had seen him passed out from hunger. Not like the bastard cared, he didn't even offer to help Alfred. He could only figure that the lord would want him in a compromised position to keep power over him or some other bullshit.

Alfred slowly stood up and sauntered to the window and he glared at the wall that stood in front of him. He was so close to it, so close to learning more about it. But he couldn't do anything, not with those guards and mages breathing down his neck. Alfred just groaned and fell backwards, onto the incredibly soft bed. But he couldn't allow himself to enjoy it. His stomach growled at him, demanding more of the food he had offered to it. He rolled over, thinking about his brother and if he was panicking over Alfred's disappearance.

He probably was, but Alfred just had to hope that he wasn't about to try anything dangerous to help him out. Alfred hit his head into a pillow. His brother wasn't the reckless type; that was Alfred's job. Naturally, Matthew would be smart enough to lay low for the time being and not be stupid. Alfred just had to make sure he could find some way out of this and not disappoint his brother by being gone for too long. He had to think of a plan. But what could he do?

It wasn't like he could just barge out and use his magic. Who knew how many mages were dampening his magic? He could only use the stuff he did subconsciously, like seeing the magic and healing himself. If only that healing helped him with his damn hunger, he would have been able to stay in that library again. Maybe he could try to find that magic spot on the wall again. It wasn't much of a plan, but it was something. Something he could use if he needed it, if he got that desperate.

Alfred sat up on the bed, looking around. He could try making something in secret that would help him get out of there. There was no way he could hide a chain of blankets or something to make his way down the window, even if it opened. He could always pretend that he's passed out from hunger and surprise attack, but who knew how well that would work…

He needed something. Anything.

He had to get out of there.

* * *

><p><strong>This chapter felt kinda fillery to me, sorry guys. Especially the part with Alfred. But it was characterization, so I mean it's fine. Things will happen next chapter, I swear to you! They shall meet again and negotiate and things. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed!<strong>

**Also! Look out on December 1st for a new, short fic by me that I'll post throughout December to celebrate the holidays! It'll be PruCan, my usual, and I hope you'll all enjoy it!**

**Please review!**


	7. Pain

Chapter 7. Pain.

Alfred tapped his finger impatiently on the table, glaring at his half-empty plate. He felt like he could eat more, sure, but he wasn't sure if that would be the best for him. Natalia and Katyusha were in the dining hall, as always, but Lord Braginski was absent, as usual. It was dinner now, quite some bored hours had been passed in his room, alone, before he was allowed to come out for this meal.

"Your incessant tapping is giving me a headache," Natalia snapped.

"Deal with it," Alfred grumbled and she glared at him. Alfred glared right back at her. Katyusha continued eating in silence, apparently deciding that saying nothing was the best for the time being. Alfred continued his tapping with a smirk and Natalia scoffed, returning to her own food, eating it so lady-like and slowly that it hurt Alfred to watch. "Whatever, I'll just go back to my room." Alfred stood up slowly and looked at the two guards in the room. Thankfully, there were no mages. That meant he could implement one of the plans he had created in his hours of loneliness.

The two sisters were quiet as Alfred left with the two guards and they started walking down the hallway. Alfred took a deep breath, concentrating as much as he possibly could, he felt the magic course through him. Not a lot, but just enough.

"Hey, we should go to that library," Alfred suggested, allowing his magic to seep into the two men on either side of him. They appeared startled for a moment, and then confused, but then they finally nodded and started to lead Alfred further down the hallway, past his bedroom. Alfred smirked. Perfect. He didn't even use all of the magic he gathered for that, they were too easily swayed. They got to the library and Alfred opened the door for himself. "You guys can stay out here." Alfred said, seeping a little more magic out before closing the door. He looked into the room and found that it was pretty much the exact way he left it, aside from the papers that he had collected being more organized on the table beside the couch. He could continue where he left off.

Alfred happily sat down and flipped through the pages, finding where he left off and what he still needed to read. He still couldn't find anything very interesting, that is until he got to something from 400 years ago. The papers were incredibly fragile and old and Alfred was surprised he hadn't noticed them before. It was a journal entry of sorts and Alfred couldn't read all of it, but he got the gist of it.

The wall just…grew one day. Everyone in the town was going about their day like normal and the son of the lord at the time described it as the wall coming out of nowhere. It took some houses off of the map and separated some people that had gone past this unknown barrier before it was created. The journal writer had tried to touch it, but was shocked by the "strange source" coming out of it. Did he not know what magic was? That was when the writing started to get faster, more urgent and less neat, like he needed to write something down. Before Alfred could even read that section, the paper was snatched roughly from his hands and he jumped before seeing Lord Braginski right in front of him.

"What the fuck, man?" Alfred snapped.

"What are you reading?" Lord Braginski asked simply.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Alfred smirked and attempted to get the paper back from the lord, but the man was much taller than him and kept it away from him. Lord Braginski stepped away and examined the paper closer.

"How far did you get in this?" he asked.

"Finished it," Alfred said happily, crossing his arms over his chest. It was a blatant lie, but obviously there was something important written on those pages. If he pretended that he knew everything, maybe Lord Braginski would be stupid enough to give it away.

"Obviously you have not," the man said simply and used magic to life the paper to the top of the bookshelf, far from where Alfred could reach it. "Or your reaction would be different."

"How do you know that I don't have a good poker face or something?" Alfred snapped.

Lord Braginski simply raised an eyebrow at him and Alfred slumped back onto the couch. This was…definitely weird. Lord Braginski got mad at him last time he was in there, right? And now he was just talking calmly to him? While that deathly aura was still creeping towards him, suffocating him with the intent to kill. Yet, the lord's aura itself seemed perfectly calm and collected. Even slightly amused.

"So what fucking now?" Alfred asked. "Do we just chill in here for a while? Pretend you didn't kidnap me against my will?"

"We were not the one to do the kidnapping," Lord Braginski said simply with a childish smile and Alfred watched him go to a different section of the room, where the thick books with absolutely no dust resided. Again with the "we". Alfred didn't get it, but then again, he didn't know royalty that well. Lord Braginski started browsing through the books.

"Uh, you definitely ordered that," Alfred stated. "And then you don't even show your face."

"It just so happens that we have been around you multiple times, you have just been asleep," Ivan said simply, finding a suitable book.

"No way I'd be able to sleep with you around," Alfred muttered. That aura would be impossible to get any good night's sleep around. "What the hell is it with you and the 'we's anyway? Last I checked, it was just you, unless you're referring to your other aura."

"Aura?" Lord Braginski asked and gave him a quizzical look, going past his usual façade. "You can see auras?"

"Well, yeah," Alfred shrugged. "Anyone can if they want to. I usually just don't want to."

"And you have said nothing?" Lord Braginski asked.

"About the creepy as fuck black aura surrounding you?" Alfred laughed slightly. "Nope. Now that I am, though, it fucking wants to kill me, you should work on that."

"Yes, I know," Lord Braginski muttered. Now Alfred was interested. Ivan didn't use "we" this time. He still didn't get that. "As for how we refer to ourselves," Alfred groaned at the return of it. He apparently thought too soon, "it is simply proper etiquette for a lord to speak in this manner."

"So we're just gonna skip right past the deathly black thing swallowing you?" Alfred shrugged. "Chill, whatever. As long as you're not referring to both of you when you speak because that'd be creepy as all hell." Lord Braginski was quiet as he opened his book and read through it while still standing. Alfred noticed that he started in the middle, but the man obviously didn't care about that fact. "I thought you'd be mad at me for being in here like you were last time."

"We were not mad about that," Lord Braginski said simply. The black aura fluttered around him as he kept an obvious distance from him. Alfred noticed that Ivan could easily sit at the chair right across from Alfred, but the man seemed perfectly content with standing on the other end of the room, far from Alfred, but close enough to carry a conversation. "We would prefer that you have our permission, but we do not care if you come in here."

"Whatever," Alfred muttered and glanced back at his pile of stuff. He really wished he could have seen what had been on the rest of that journal, but he didn't have the magic in him. He would have to get his energy back up to its peak again in order to do that. And even then, Lord Braginski was sure to notice Alfred moving it down. "What were you mad about, then?"

"Nothing you should be concerned about," Lord Braginski said.

Another stretch of silence.

"So, did you just come in here to stop me from looking at that journal or did you have a purpose?" Alfred asked.

"I wanted to read," Lord Braginski said nonchalantly. "That is the only reason." Alfred wasn't about to mention the fact that the lord had referred to himself differently, it made the conversation less awkward than it already was.

"Whatever," Alfred muttered. He hated the quiet, but Lord Braginski seemed to prefer it. This was already starting off as something bad. And annoying. Alfred could notice the lord glancing at him over his book repeatedly as time went on, as if expecting him to start a conversation again. It was really awkward. Especially with that aura. The black fog around the lord kept acting as much as it could to get close to Alfred, swallow him as well. It sent a chill up his spine, way more than the day of the festival. "You suck at conversations."

"You are the one not offering interesting topics."

Alfred scoffed with a smirk. "I don't need interesting topics, I'm already interesting enough to talk to in general. I make the topics interesting."

"Then explain how I am not interested yet," Lord Braginski said.

"You're the one talking back when you could be reading," Alfred shrugged happily. Lord Braginski said nothing, he didn't even look up. Alfred smirked at his small victory. "Whatever, I'm out if you're not gonna be interesting enough to try a conversation." He stood up and started to walk towards the door and Lord Braginski tensed slightly.

"No, you should stay if you want to," Lord Braginski said and Alfred noticed the slight strain in his voice, like he wanted Alfred to stay. That was interesting, sure, but Alfred couldn't find anything interesting in this guy, not even enough to hate him like he did before.

"And do what?" Alfred asked and noticed that Lord Braginski inched away from him slightly to make up for the distance Alfred had decreased between then. "Read shit that you'll take away from me so I don't know too much?"

"You like magic, yes?" Lord Braginski offered, albeit shyly. "I have books you can study from."

"That's not how I study magic," Alfred said. He didn't know some words so what would be the point of studying from something that he couldn't fully understand? He also preferred his own way of studying, but he couldn't exactly do that with all of his magic locked up, now could he? "Nice try, though."

"How do you study magic if you do not use books?" Lord Braginski asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Alfred laughed and made his way to the door. The oddest thing happened when his hand was on the knob of the door, his other on the brick of the building. His vision suddenly went black. He felt like he was swimming in a thick fog, but there was nothing anywhere. He didn't get it.

Then there was a sound. A voice. Alfred didn't understand what it had said until after he regained consciousness, staring up at the deep purple eyes of Lord Braginski, who had apparently caught him.

_Help me_.

"Get the fuck off of me," Alfred muttered, feeling like he was physically suffocating being so close to the aura that reminded him the darkness his mind had just taken him to. When Alfred pushed off of Lord Braginski, however, the man gripped hard onto his wrist. Alfred tried to twist out of his grip, but to no avail. He looked at the face of the lord in front of him and shivered. It was a sickening kind of smile that had wormed its way onto Lord Braginski's face. His own aura had grown a dark color about it and his grip on Alfred's wrist tightened. "Fuck! Let go!"

Lord Braginski simply let out a small, child-like laugh that sent chills down Alfred's spine. It was already incredibly cold being this close to the man, but now his wrist felt like it was about to pop out of place. Alfred yelled in pain as the lord's grip grew tighter.

"I said let go!" Alfred snapped and kicked Lord Braginski in his chest and then moved his toes up to hit his chin. That seemed to snap Lord Braginski out of whatever he was in and he let go of Alfred's wrist immediately. Alfred crawled away, wincing at the throbbing pain in his wrist. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"I am sorry," Lord Braginski said. "Let me help."

"No fucking way," Alfred snapped, holding onto his wrist himself. He just had to wait for his own magic to kick in to heal his wrist. "Get control of that aura." Alfred didn't even wait for his wrist to completely get better before he was on his feet and slammed the door open. The guards looked at him and Alfred didn't even have to say anything before they were leading him back to his room. Alfred could hear a scream and a loud bang as he assumed Lord Braginski hit something.

* * *

><p><strong>This is like their first real interaction and I'm in love with it! Yay! Yes, I know RusAme is fueled by their hate sex and, as lovely as that is, really, I like to think that neither of them get pissed off for no good reason. He got some good hate, but in reality it's a little boring to Alfred while Ivan's going through this mental debate and huge conflict inside of his head. Other things will start happening eventually, but here is all I have for you guys so far!<strong>

**Please review! Tell me if you enjoyed!**


	8. We Win

Chapter 8. We Win.

Alfred was…hesitant. He had been hesitant to go back to the library, but he went anyway. It was empty when he went in and the guards stayed outside, obviously hesitant to enter this private room. The first thing Alfred noticed was the pile of books that had toppled from their bookshelf in the section Lord Braginski had been looking at just the day before. Maybe that was what he had hit. Alfred was almost tempted to put everything back, but he quickly dismissed that thought. For one, it wasn't even his problem, Lord Braginski was just fucking crazy. And for another, he didn't even know what order the lord had for them and he'd probably get pissed off or something if he did it wrong, so Alfred wasn't going to touch them. He moved back to where the couch was and plopped down on it, his back to the door. He didn't want to look at Lord Braginski if he came back in there.

Alfred rifled through the few papers that he still had for his research purposes and glanced up at the top of the bookshelf where the lord had hidden that journal. He knew his magic still wasn't strong enough, at least the amount that he could use, to get it down and he sighed heavily, glancing through the papers he had. So he wouldn't be able to see the obvious stuff so he'd have to go through the little clues in all of these documents to try to find something out. He could handle this.

And then the door opened behind him.

"Did you have fun with your tantrum?" Alfred asked before he could stop himself. He didn't turn around and he rolled his eyes at himself. Yes, antagonize the person that was more than ready to break his arm in half just the day before, that was a great fucking idea.

"We…apologize for that," Lord Braginski muttered and Alfred could hear the man putting the books back on their shelves. "We did not expect you to return here."

"Neither did we," Alfred muttered, deciding to subtly tease the man by mocking how he spoke. Alfred could still feel that second aura as well, and it was putting him on edge, not being able to see it. But he wasn't about to turn around. No way.

It was silent for a while as Lord Braginski replaced the books carefully and Alfred rifled through the random reports and journals that he could browse through. It wasn't getting him anywhere, really. It was annoying. His one lead was just out of reach and he couldn't even attempt to get it down now that Lord Braginski was in the room. That was when he saw a very small report, not even a full page, but it looked just as old as the last ones. Alfred quickly looked over it, maybe he'd get a chance to read this. The person who wrote this was quick about it and had some things in short hand, but Alfred could make it out.

It was centered around magic, written by someone named Nikolas, apparently. He described magic as something evil, something vile, and almost eradicated. There was one person left with magic, apparently, and he was hell-bent on getting rid of him, no matter the cost. He referred to this man as something called the Trickster. For someone who hated magic as much as this guy, Alfred was surprised how much he knew about it. But that was it. All there was. A Trickster that had to be killed to finally get rid of all magic. Apparently, that went wrong, considering how much magic was used nowadays.

Alfred quickly folded up the small paper and hid it in one of the few pockets of the clothing given to him that day and glanced back to make sure Lord Braginski didn't see. He was still focused on replacing his books. Apparently he did have a system, considering how long he was spending putting all of the books back. It looked like the man was having a hard time not looking back at Alfred, too.

Alfred sighed heavily as he slumped back into the couch and stared ahead. This was awkward, he had to do something to fix this, he didn't know what, just something. It was suffocating enough already with that stupid, black aura.

"So do you leave the manor often or was the festival your first time?" Alfred asked. He hated being so lame and starting a conversation like that, but he couldn't think of anything better. It was silent in the library for a while, like Lord Braginski was either surprised about the question or thinking of a response.

"Our father did not want us to interact with peasants," Lord Braginski said simply after a moment of silence.

"So how come you decided to interact with us now?" Alfred asked, glancing through the other useless papers in front of him.

"We were curious," Lord Braginski said. "Our father is dead now and so we can do as we please."

"Wish we got the same freedom," Alfred scoffed, being careful to make sure he kept referring to himself like Lord Braginski did.

"You can do what you like here," Lord Braginski said carefully. "As long as it does not affect your safety and you do not leave, you can do what you want."

"What about reading that paper you took from us?" Alfred asked with a grin.

"That would interfere with your safety," Lord Braginski said. "Why are you referring to yourself that way?"

"Why not?" Alfred shrugged and turned around to face the lord, who was holding the last few books he had to replace. "You're doing it."

"It is not the same thing," Lord Braginski shook his head as he replaced the books and looked at the shelf almost sadly. Alfred sighed. Was this guy always this glum?

"Why not?" Alfred smirked. "You do it because you can, we do it because we can."

"We do not do it because we can," Lord Braginski said. "We should do it because of our position."

"Why?" Alfred asked smugly and Lord Braginski just gave him an odd look. "We asked you a question."

"Not a very good one," Lord Braginski shook his head. "Is this your attempt at conversation?"

"Both of us are talking, aren't we?" Alfred smirked and Lord Braginski shook his head, returning to the shelf to look through it, as if making sure everything was back in its proper place. Alfred had to wonder why the man didn't just do this after he made the mess, but he seemed pretty wacked out when Alfred had left him, so he wasn't about to ask that question. "Did you like the festival?"

"It was pleasant," Lord Braginski nodded. "Your magic display was rather impressive."

"Yeah, it was, wasn't it?" Alfred said proudly. "It was one of the best, apparently. There were so many other things we could have done better, but that can wait until next year, right?"

"Yes," Lord Braginski nodded with a slight smile.

"Betcha don't get shit like that in this stuffy old manor," Alfred said. "The peasants know how to throw a party, right?"

"You surprised us," Lord Braginski said. "We did not expect it to be as extravagant as it was."

"And the dance was the best part, right? Aside from the magic display," Alfred said. "That's always our favorite part! Everyone just gets so happy and it's so much fun!"

"It was rather enjoyable," Lord Braginski smiled even wider, and not that creepy smile Alfred had seen the day before. This was a genuine, happy smile. Awesome. Alfred was getting somewhere. Maybe this guy wasn't bad once you got past the stupid, royal façade and that aura.

"And did you enjoy the food?" Alfred asked. "That shit's great, the women spend all day working on it."

"It surprised me," Lord Braginski admitted and Alfred smirked.

"Ha! We won!" Alfred cheered, standing up from the couch.

"I do not understand," Lord Braginski shook his head.

"We lasted longer than you," Alfred smirked and Ivan blinked in surprise, realizing what Alfred was referring to. "If it's such a royal thing to do, how come a peasant lasted longer than you?"

That was when the lord did something Alfred never expected he would see. Lord Braginski laughed. Not that creepy giggle thing, no, this was a real laugh. He held onto the bookshelf as he laughed and Alfred smiled at the man's aura, which became brighter than it usually was. The black aura, however, grew angrier. Alfred accepted it as a challenge, no way would he back down to something like that.

"You never cease to surprise me," Lord Braginski muttered as he recovered, getting more of a grip on the menacing aura as he did so.

"I know, I'm pretty cool," Alfred smirked and slumped back on the couch, this time facing Lord Braginski. "Just spreading it around."

Lord Braginski shook his head as he continued to look for a book, but with a small smile still on his face. So this plan worked well. This guy wasn't as boring and crazy as Alfred previously thought. He just had to peel a few layers back. He didn't even seem to care that he dropped the royal façade, which meant he was obviously more comfortable this way.

"So I've got a question," Alfred guessed he could at least try to do something. Lord Braginski talking about studying had that back on his mind. Normally, he would study at least once every three days, but he hadn't been able to thanks to the restraints put on him with those stupid mages all around him.

"Go ahead and ask it, then," Lord Braginski said off-handedly.

"I know this is kinda a weird thing to ask…" Alfred sighed, rubbing the nape of his neck. "But is it possible that you could…I dunno, have the mages turn off their spell holding back my magic for, like, an hour. Just an hour. And I'll stay right here, I won't try anything."

"Why do you want that?" Lord Braginski asked skeptically.

"I just feel funny, alright?" Alfred sighed. It wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't exactly the truth. He needed his magic to study properly and that was all he would really want to do. It'd give him a sense of normalcy, hopefully. And he could study, maybe find a way out of this mess. That would help, at least a little bit. "All I need is an hour. Alone, preferably."

"I will consider it," Lord Braginski said and Alfred nodded.

"Sweet, dude," Alfred shrugged, relaxing a little more onto the couch. There was more awkward silence that filled the room but Alfred, strangely, didn't mind it much. It was still awkward as hell, but it was kind of comforting at the same time. They passed whatever barrier they had between them. Lord Braginski stood on the other side of the room, having found a book suitable to his tastes, evidently. Alfred sighed and stood up, moving over to where Lord Braginski had pointed out he had books on magic. He might as well see how other people study if he was just going to sit around being bored all day.

He saw Lord Braginski move slightly away from him as Alfred got closer, but he ignored it as he looked at the books. They were all incredibly thick with words Alfred didn't even recognize as English and he stared at them in wonder. He never knew there was really that much magic for him to look at. This might actually help him study now that he was looking at them.

He picked one book up at random and opened it. The pages were bursting with words and pictures that basically overwhelmed him. He stayed standing there for a while, staring at them hopelessly. He recognized some of the runes that were scrawled on the page. Some people used runes, but not many. It was the old way of using magic. People had figured out a while ago a way to skip past the runes and simply use words or feelings. Alfred did that, but he liked to know the runes and what they meant so that he could get more complicated magic later.

Alfred turned around and moved back to the couch. When he glanced back at Lord Braginski, he noticed that the man had a smug smile on his face while he read through his own book. Alfred rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the runes on the page, wondering what they meant.

* * *

><p><strong>And yay! More of a conversation between them, breaking down barriers, magic, fun times. And a little bit of history, but not enough to give anything away! I'm so happy right now! I wrote half of this at work, since winter shifts are really slow.<strong>

**Anyway, please review! It's very nice of you!**


	9. Rules

Chapter 9. Rules.

Ivan was curious. That was the only way to describe this. Alfred had asked to use his magic for an hour, alone in his library. Naturally, Ivan couldn't allow him to be alone, especially with General Winter breathing down his neck like he was. General Winter was especially on edge about allowing Alfred to use his magic. He was paranoid that Alfred would break out and wreak havoc or something, but the more Ivan got to know the man, he found that he had no intention of doing anything like that. Alfred was mostly peaceful…when he wasn't angry. Which he wasn't at this point.

And that was why, on the first day that Ivan allowed Alfred to use his magic as he asked, Ivan stood on the other side of the door to the library. By that time, the mages had most likely stopped their constant spell over him and Alfred would have been able to tell he had free use of his magic. Ivan carefully opened the door just a crack so he could peer into the room.

Alfred's back was to him and Ivan sighed. He was just standing in a fairly empty space. Alfred shook out his arms and legs, stretching happily at his now free use of magic. Ivan never considered how uncomfortable it would be to have his magic suppressed. He assumed it was a lot worse for Alfred, considering how much magic he could hold. Then, Alfred took a deep breath and brought his hands together, muttering something Ivan couldn't understand under his breath. A circle started to appear around his feet.

"_You should stop this now before it gets dangerous_," General Winter said immediately. "_He is building a magic circle, who knows the damage he can cause with that._"

Ivan had never seen anyone create a magic circle before. Sure, he had studied magic enough to know what one is and what it looks like, but he'd never used one. It was also meant to amplify magic, but no one really used them anymore, there was no point in them using magic to that extent. Ivan's curiosity piqued even further. The circle completed itself, beautifully intricate at Alfred's feet. There were symbols and runes scattered around it and Ivan couldn't even understand some of them.

Then Alfred's hands began to move. Ivan could feel the concentrated magic around them and he could faintly see it manifesting itself in front of Alfred as he moved his hands, following his fingertips as he commanded them and made them disappear after a few seconds. Ivan recognized the symbols that were being created in front of Alfred. They were runes, magic symbols of every kind. They were fascinating to see, even if he could barely see them. The air was thick with this magic that Alfred seemed to command at will and Ivan was speechless, staring at the man in front of him.

"_He is…studying_," General Winter noted and Ivan nodded in agreement. That was all he could think to do in his awe. There were such complex combinations of runes that he couldn't even guess what that magic could do, and Alfred was just observing it and tossing it away. "_This is dangerous, we cannot allow him to be that familiar with magic._"

He would find out another way, Ivan was sure. There were magic books, after all. And Alfred was a sweet talker, that much Ivan could tell by the way Alfred talked to some of the female servants. He could probably manage to get something out of mages if he was brought to that.

"_You give him too much freedom_," General Winter noted. "_If you are not going to kill him, at least restrict him so he will not cause harm._"

Ivan noticed that Alfred was moving a certain amount of runes to his left side before they disappeared and moved a select few to the right. Ivan was curious, though he assumed that it depended on whether or not Alfred liked what the runes created. Ivan could barely see them flash certain colors and he noticed that Alfred liked the red and blue ones the most out of all of them. He kept a lot of the purple ones as well.

Ivan smiled slightly before closing the door. He should give the man some privacy for his studies, he decided. He smiled when he noticed that this was one of the first times that he had seen Alfred and hadn't felt overcome with General Winter's rage and killing intent. He hummed a happy tune on his way to his room. He could allow Alfred more than an hour, he didn't mind.

* * *

><p>Alfred had never felt so <em>good<em>! The second the restraints were lifted off of him, it felt like a massive boulder had moved off of his chest. He could feel the magic moving through him again, he could see it more clearly, he felt fucking amazing. He was alone in the library and he decided it was a perfect time to try studying, see if he still had a knack for it considering he hadn't done it in a few days.

He took a deep breath as he planted his feet. He closed his eyes and he could see the circle being created. He didn't need to open his eyes to know if it was there, he could feel it. And damn, did it feel good. He made sure it was intricate to make up for the fact that he hadn't studied in so long. After that was done, he got to work.

Keeping his eyes closed, Alfred started with simple runes that he had known for a while, feeling the magic flow through the air as he moved his hands. He combined two, knowing exactly what they did. The colors that they emitted were beautiful, but Alfred didn't need to see them to know that. He could feel it.

Oh, God, he missed this.

Alfred quickly went for more complex combinations, using the runes he had just learned about and combining them with five others, six others, as many combinations as he wanted. Some of them, the useful ones that he could use for magic later, he kept in his mind. Others that were useless or didn't work, he tossed them. He knew that people used to use runes to cast magic; that was how it all originally worked. And he wanted to do that with his magic, it also helped him control all of the magic that came out at once when he tried casting without runes.

He was good at it, too, he could remember what combination of runes did what and when and how to use it. No one else could really see the runes when he did it, not even him. It was just a memory thing. Studying helped him quite a lot with figuring this out. And he was more than happy to do it.

Feeling the magic course through him again, controlling it as his own will, he felt whole again. He hated feeling like he was bound by something, unable to use any of his magic. He felt suffocated. But now he was free. Even if he was trapped in the manor, just a few feet from the wall that kept him prisoner. He could do what he wanted with his runes, see what they could do, and make all these combinations that only his mind could come up with.

And he relaxed a little more once Lord Braginski finally closed the door and left, taking that creepy aura with him.

* * *

><p>Alfred was really confused. It had definitely been more than an hour, he was exhausted from his studying, and he was just in the library, rifling through the random books that he could find that interested him. And his magic was still working. It wasn't being suppressed, he could feel it and see it. And Ivan was nowhere to be seen. Some servant came in, saying that he was being called to dinner and Alfred was even more confused. Why hadn't they started that spell on him again? This didn't make any sense.<p>

Alfred walked quickly towards the dining hall, a little afraid that, at any second, a mage could pop out and start that damned spell on him again. He liked having his magic, don't get him wrong, but it was getting creepy that he was given way more than an hour when he didn't need it.

The second weird part came from when he entered the dining hall and Natalia, Katyusha, and Lord Braginski were all sitting down at the table, already eating. Alfred's place sat untouched beside Natalia and across from Lord Braginski, as usual. But the lord was usually never there. Alfred carefully walked into the room. Katyusha smiled happily at him and Alfred carefully smiled back before plopping down in the seat, looking at Lord Braginski.

"What's going on here?" Alfred asked suspiciously, poking at his food with his fork.

"What are you talking about?" Lord Braginski asked off-handedly. That aura was still menacing around him, but it seemed to have picked up a little steam, getting more angry at him. But Lord Braginski's aura had picked up even more steam, keeping it firmly under his control. Alfred was so confused. This made no sense to him at all. What had Lord Braginski in such a good mood?

"You're not suppressing my magic anymore," Alfred decided to chance saying it. Sure, he was afraid that Lord Braginski had just forgotten and would start the spell again, but he felt like that wasn't the case here. Something was definitely up and he was going to find out just what was going on.

"We have decided to give you more freedom," Lord Braginski said simply. "As long as you do not betray that trust by attempting to run, we will keep you in this arrangement."

"Why?" Alfred asked suspiciously. "Is this because you were watching me in the library earlier today?" Lord Braginski paused for a moment, seemingly surprised that Alfred knew about that, but he continued to eat as normal after a moment passed.

"We found what you were doing interesting," Lord Braginski muttered.

"You go into brother's library?" Natalia asked coldly.

"With my permission, sister," Lord Braginski said simply and Natalia quieted immediately, staring at her food, almost angrily. If Alfred hadn't already seen that terrifying aura around Lord Braginski, he would have been terrified by her menacing aura next to him. Alfred scooted away from her slightly. He didn't really want to be stabbed again that day.

"I am happy you two are friends now," Katyusha smiled.

"We're not friends," Alfred muttered, stabbing something on his plate with a fork. He wasn't even paying that close of attention to it. This was all just so…weird. There really was no other way to explain it. "Remember I'm being held here against my will."

"You are the one that moves around freely and yet obeys the rules you don't have to obey," Lord Braginski said smugly and Alfred glared at him. Natalia kicked him hard in the shin.

"Do not give such dirty looks to brother," Natalia grumbled as Alfred stared at her with wide eyes.

"Ow!" Alfred snapped and Lord Braginski chuckled amusedly. "And I'm not here for your fucking amusement."

"It appears that you are, Trickster," Lord Braginski smirked. Alfred harshly bit into his food. What the hell was up with that nickname? Was he like some kind of jester for the lord? No way in hell, he wasn't here for entertainment. He didn't even know what he was here for. Alfred didn't even taste the food as he ate it. This family was weird and it was only getting weirder around him.

And that black aura. It was pissed off, Alfred was sure. It seemed to have grown, but it was having no effect on Lord Braginski's sisters, who obviously didn't have any magic in them. It was only mad at Alfred, for some reason he couldn't understand. He looked at Lord Braginski carefully as he continued eating his food. This was getting weirder by the minute.

* * *

><p><strong>So, this took me half an hour to write while at school. I'm really surprised, apparently my mind has been more than ready to write this whole week but it's had no time to. It sucks that I won't have time to write very much, but oh well. Anyway, we now know why Alfred wanted to use his magic, but now Ivan's allowing him to use it as he pleases, how interesting.<strong>

**Please review! And look forward to the next installment soon!**


	10. Too Close

Chapter 10. Too Close.

Ivan hummed happily to himself. Nothing could bring him down now. He was happy, for once in a very long time. Having Alfred around, no matter how angry he could get at Ivan, brought his mood up. General Winter was affecting him less than normal, his sisters even seemed to be in better moods, even Natalia despite what she said. This was a good time. He knew it could not last forever, but it was nice while it was lasting.

Just as he expected, Alfred was cautious enough to not try to escape, even with his full magic. He did his studying at pretty much the same time every day, then he would rifle through Ivan's books and Ivan would be in the library with him, happily standing on the other side of the room. General Winter definitely wasn't happy, but as long as Ivan kept the distance he had been, everything would be fine. There were no more near mistakes like what had happened earlier. He had a control on this situation. Everything was fine. Everything was happy.

That is, until, Alfred broke his usual schedule. Ivan was walking through the halls, glancing through papers he would have to talk to the head soldiers about. He hadn't noticed that Alfred was standing in the hallway until it was too late. Until he felt General Winter's urge to kill. Ivan dropped his papers and looked ahead. Alfred hadn't even noticed him. He was staring at a nearby wall, looking around it curiously, pressing his ear against it.

"What are you doing?" Ivan asked and Alfred jumped slightly, looking over him carefully and taking a step back, which Ivan was grateful for. Alfred could see General Winter's aura and, though Ivan couldn't even see it clearly, he could guess what it must be like.

"I hear something," Alfred muttered, crossing his arms over his chest quickly. "I think. I'm pretty sure. I couldn't focus, okay?"

"What do you hear?" Ivan asked him carefully. There was no way Alfred could have already found the secret dungeon, that was protected by magic on the level of General Winter. What could he be hearing, then? This didn't make sense.

"Nothing important," Alfred grumbled and glared at the wall suspiciously. Ivan raised an eyebrow.

"_You need to stop him before he finds that menace_," General Winter said cruelly and Ivan flinched. His voice was louder than it had been the past few days. "_If they even touch-"_

"You should return to the library," Ivan said quickly. He could already feel his hands shaking. General Winter was suspicious, more so than he had been in the past. If Alfred got any closer to that dungeon, Ivan wouldn't be able to protect him from the spirit anymore, that much he knew.

"_Kill him now, before he gets too far_." General Winter's words echoed through his head, Ivan couldn't even hear what retort Alfred had for him. This was bad. He should just leave. Ivan moved his feet, but they moved in the wrong direction, towards Alfred, not away from him. Ivan gritted his teeth. No, not now.

"Dude?" Alfred asked and made the bad decision to take a step forward. Ivan couldn't stop himself. He gripped hard onto Alfred's neck and slammed him back into the wall. Alfred made a choked, surprised sound as his head hit the wall hard. Ivan wanted to stop, but his hand wasn't obeying him, it was obeying General Winter. He remembered the day he had nearly killed Alfred in the library, he wouldn't allow this, he couldn't allow this. He needed to…distract General Winter.

Alfred was choking, Ivan could see it, the way his face was contorting, changing color. He already hated Ivan, it didn't matter what he did, as long as Alfred could be safe. Ivan gripped hard onto Alfred's arm and did the first thing that came to his mind to distract General Winter. He kissed Alfred.

The second his lips pressed against Alfred's, his hand released the man's neck. Alfred, despite freezing upon this contact, couldn't stop his rapid breaths that came into Ivan's mouth, puffing hot breaths in his face. Ivan pressed further, surprised when Alfred didn't stop him. He stopped himself before he tongue moved without his permission and took a step back. Alfred stared at him with wide, confused eyes, still panting for air. A deep red blush had washed over his face as he leaned against the wall for support and Ivan took a few, necessary steps back. General Winter was silent in his head.

Before Alfred could say anything, yell at him or hit him, Ivan ran. He ran as fast as he could until he was back in his room, door slammed shut so hard that the wood cracked once again. He didn't bother fixing it as he regained his bearings. He hadn't expected that to happen. To see Alfred…or for his plan to stop General Winter to be kissing the man. His hand carefully rose to delicately touch his lips and he knew he had a blush on his face as well. What was wrong with him? He's trying to kill someone so he kisses them? He ran the same hand through his hair as he tried to collect his thoughts.

"_You are even more twisted than I am_." General Winter gave an amused chuckle as Ivan stayed right where he was, almost afraid to move. "_That was…surprising. Of course, I knew your feelings were there, but I never expected you to act on them._"

"Shut up," Ivan shook his head desperately. "Don't fucking talk to me."

"_I wonder what he thinks of you now_."

"I said shut up!" Ivan snapped. He didn't dare move. He stayed in his room in silence, hoping General Winter would get the hint, but he rarely did.

That was when Ivan felt it. With a start, he sat upright. A magic barrier had been broken. By Alfred. General Winter's rage came back immediately and Ivan started shaking, but he quickly scrambled to his feet. No. He had to stop this. He had to stop Alfred before he endangered himself. Ivan left the door to his room wide open, the pipe resting against his back as he ran as fast as he could. Alfred had found the hidden dungeon.

* * *

><p>Alfred was in shock. One second, he's being chocked against a wall…and then…he's…Lord Braginski…he… What? Alfred honestly had no words as he leaned against the wall for support, Lord Braginski staring at him like a startled animal. Alfred's mind hadn't even caught up with him when he saw the lord run. Alfred let out some kind of groan as he slid to the ground, trying to recover his wits. That definitely took him by surprise.<p>

What kind of weirdo suffocates someone before they kiss them? On top of that…they were both dudes. Alfred wasn't into that. No way. But the way his stomach knotted and twisted told him otherwise. What the fuck was that? He shouldn't feel that way. It wasn't even a long kiss. Maybe just a few seconds, at most.

_I know you're there_

And that damn voice! It was back and echoing through these halls! Alfred was sure he'd found it. But his mind was distracted, trying to reassemble himself. Everything just needed to stop for a second while he figured this out. It was enough that the choking stopped his mind from thinking to use magic to protect himself, but that he was sure even his physical abilities were completely out for the count now.

_Please!_

"Shut up!" Alfred snapped at the voice. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! I can hear you! Stop!" Alfred gripped onto his head tightly. One thing at a time! He had to figure this shit out one thing at a time or his mind would explode. He was sure it was already exploding.

_Come here! Please!_

"I know!" Alfred groaned. "You want me to come there! Where the fuck is there? You tell me!" He slammed his hand into the wall behind him, but the wall suddenly wasn't there. Alfred tumbled back and let out a small scream (which he would never admit to anyone) as he tumbled down a few stairs that he was sure weren't there a second before. He slid down a little further as he groaned, rubbing the back of his head. He looked around and saw the regular stone walls around him, but a stairway he'd never seen before.

_You._

"Me?" Alfred muttered, slowly standing up. He couldn't think, really. There was magic energy all around this place, a dark fog surrounding him, enclosing him. He forgot about the outside world. He slowly descended the stairs. "What about me?"

_I can hear you._

Alfred reached a wooden door with a thick lock on it. He broke it easily with magic and the door swung open. The magic nearly suffocated him again and he struggled to breathe and see. But he saw a single thing in this room. Something that completely entranced him. A single, floating, golden ball.

_I can see you._

Alfred stepped forward curiously. It was almost like he could see a shape in the ball, like the magic surrounding it was creating something. Part of it stretched out towards him and Alfred moved his hand out to touch it. He almost moved without his own consent, but he was just so damn curious, he knew this was him moving. All that mattered was that golden ball, the voice coming from it, and the magic pouring through this room. It was suppressing as well as fighting. He was so confused and taken over by this sensation, nothing even mattered, not even the butterflies in his stomach, not even a minute before.

_Just a little closer._

Alfred took a hesitant step forward. This thing needed his help. It had been pleading with him pretty much since he got there. He had to help it, but he didn't know how. He could start with offering his hand, so he moved even closer still, but he was still too far away from the ball.

"Alfred!"

The voice was dull, in the back of his head. Hardly a blip in his mind. He continued forward.

"Alfred!"

The voice was sharper and Alfred stumbled slightly.

_No. Please don't. No!_

"Alfred!"

Alfred knew that voice. The one not in his head. It was Lord Braginski. The butterflies returned, but his mind had trouble returning to reality. What memory did he have of Ivan? The dance? The…the kiss… Alfred wanted to turn around, but that meant he had to look away from the ball. He stopped walking.

_Please! You're so close! Just a little further! Please!_

The voice was screaming at him, begging with him. Alfred had to continue…but…

"Alfred! Get away from that!"

The voice in real life cut through it all. Alfred glanced back and his mind crashed to reality. Why was he down there? What had just happened? Lord Braginski stood at the doorway of the small room, slamming his fist against a magic barrier. Alfred was confused and…lightheaded, but he moved ahead slightly. His head hurt and there was something nagging at the back of his head, almost like a voice, but he forgot about it quickly. Lord Braginski looked…panicked. Afraid. Terrified. Alfred almost felt touched, but at the same time, he was pissed off. That guy showed his face after suffocating him and then confusing him like that? No way in hell.

"Fuck you," Alfred snapped at the man, leaving the room. The second he passed over the threshold, he felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of him and he almost felt…drowsy. Alfred shook his head as he passed Lord Braginski, who looked heavily shocked, but Alfred didn't turn around as he walked up the stairs. Lord Braginski followed him quickly behind.

"Don't you have somewhere else you could be?" Alfred snapped again as soon as he was up the stairs, Lord Braginski still close to him, incredibly close. Too close.

"Alfred," Lord Braginski swiftly placed a delicate, shaking hand on Alfred's forehead. Alfred immediately tried to move away before he realized what Ivan was doing. This was a spell, one he used a lot. Why? What had he done? Did that fucker want Alfred to forget what he had done?!

"Get the fuck off of me!" Alfred snapped and tried to fight back, but he was too slow.

"Sleep," Lord Braginski commanded and Alfred already felt himself drifting. He hated the fact that he'd be forced to pass out in that man's arms, but he had no control over it now. Even his own magic wasn't helping him in this. That was when he realized this wasn't Lord Braginski's magic. It was the magic of that menacing aura. Alfred panicked, but it was quickly drowned by the drowsiness. What did that aura want with him? "Forget."

* * *

><p><strong>Now this was far from filler! I'm really happy! Trust me! This is beautiful! Every part of it! Plot is beauty. Life is grace. Anyway, I'm done fangirling over my own writing. What is this glowing ball? What part does it play in all this? And the voice Alfred's hearing? What is General Winter doing now? What will Ivan do next to stop him? So many good questions that I already know the answer to! I'm so happy. And we got nice fanservice, though it's nice and awkward like those two do. <strong>

**Hope you enjoyed! Please review to tell me if you did!**


	11. Escape

Chapter 11. Escape.

Alfred shot upright the second he opened his eyes. He didn't even remember falling asleep, but he was in his bed, dressed in usual night clothes. The last thing he remembered…he was nearly strangled and then kissed by Lord Braginski. Did he use a spell on him to knock him out to try and make him forget what had happened? Alfred glanced down at himself and frowned when he realized that there was magic residue on him. Someone had used a spell on him.

Alfred gritted his teeth, throwing off the comforter and quickly getting to his feet. He glanced out the door, finding that the sun was just beginning to set. As usual, there was an outfit waiting for him to put it on, like nothing was wrong. Like Alfred hadn't just been forced to sleep by Lord Braginski, who wanted to keep his secret fantasies secret!

Alfred grumbled to himself as he swiftly changed, knowing he couldn't exactly get very far in pajamas. As soon as he was dressed, he left his room, not even caring how loudly his door closed. He never really got a chance to explore the manor before, but that didn't quite matter at this point. He knew which direction the wall was in and that was all the direction he needed.

Alfred gripped his hands into fists tightly, he could feel his pent up magic he never really had a chance to use for quite some time. Lord Braginski could try all he wanted to keep Alfred there, but there was no way in Hell he was staying. Alfred stormed through the hallways, finally reaching a point in the manor that would be close enough to the wall for him to get cover in the forest, just a few feet away.

He didn't even bother with getting himself ready, his anger was more than enough to fuel his magic. He slammed his fist into the wall and, thanks to his magic, the bricks scattered and flew away with a massive sound. Alfred smirked and used the magic he'd only just learned in the castle to cast a spell over himself, making him appear invisible. He jumped to the ground, four stories below him, and used more magic to keep himself safe. He could already hear the thundering footsteps of soldiers trying to find him, but he wasted no time.

He ran right into the forest for the best cover. He could hide in there for a while, wait for them to give up, and then return to his normal life. Easy peasy. Alfred brushed past the trees and shrubs as fast as he could, well aware of the sounds of people trying to follow him, but he didn't allow himself to stop. He'd never been this deep in the forest before and he realized perfectly well that he was getting himself lost, but that didn't matter at this point.

He was getting away. Alfred had to laugh at himself for how stupid he was for not running away sooner. He should have ran the first day he got his magic back. And why did he stay? That stupid lord made him think that…what? What did he make him think?

Alfred stopped, ducking behind a bush for cover as he shook his head, trying to get his thoughts back together. The second his thoughts moved to Lord Braginski, his mind went haywire? Definitely not okay. Alfred shook his head. What did the lord make him think? That…that there was something there? No. No way in Hell. If that was true, Alfred wouldn't have minded the kiss. But he did care. He cared a lot. That was why he ran away.

Alfred stayed where he was as the sun set around him. He heard the soldiers that had passed him coming back, still searching for him, but they all passed him. Alfred couldn't sense anyone else with his magic. They were all returning to the manor. He'd made it.

Alfred smirked as he stepped out from the bush, finally putting down his invisibility spell. He knew he wasn't completely free yet, but he could definitely get somewhere with this. Alfred turned around and noticed the massive wall in front of him, covered in cool moss of the night. Luckily, running had let out a lot of his pent up anger, otherwise he would have tried something on that wall and given away his position to the manor.

Still…he couldn't stop himself from at least going forward to touch it. Immediately, Alfred felt the force of the magic surrounding the wall. It felt…familiar now somehow. Surprisingly, it allowed Alfred to get a little closer to the actual wall than usual, but then everything suddenly turned black.

* * *

><p>"<em>Find him<em>."

"I know!" Ivan snapped at the damned voice in his head. He was already angry enough without the spirit forcing its own anger into him. He had made sure he was alone in the room and, already, there was overturned furniture and ice scattered on the ground. He was shaking, he wasn't seeing clearly. He wished more than ever that he wasn't connected to General Winter. At least, then, he could tell where his anger ended and the spirit's started.

"_Go find him yourself, don't rely on your subordinates_."

"Maybe I would if I could control your anger," Ivan growled under his breath. "I will find him. Stop continuously demanding things from me."

"_You're more useless than your own father._"

"Shut up," Ivan felt like his whole body was trembling with anger that wasn't even his to control. "Get out of my head."

"_I would if I could_," General Winter said pointedly.

"I'll help you," Ivan muttered, slowly managing to sit down on his bed and take a few deep breaths. He had to sort through his thoughts, figure out what he could at least do to quell his own anger. It was his own fault he had allowed Alfred to use his magic, his fault for not placing guards on him. He had figured he had erased enough from Alfred's memory of the day before to at least calm him down. He apparently hadn't done enough. At least Alfred didn't remember what he had seen in the hidden dungeon. If that were the case, he wouldn't have broken out, he would have found it again and actually gotten farther.

"_We should find some way to destroy that thing in the dungeon_," General Winter said, at least calming down slightly. "_At the very least, it leaves your Trickster with less power._"

"I know you have tried in the past," Ivan shook his head. "Don't act like it's never worked. I can't even enter the damn room."

"_You should care more than you do about that thing and the person you let escape_," General Winter stated.

"How can I when you don't bother sharing any information with me?" Ivan asked.

"_You are far from ready to see and understand what I have seen_," General Winter said coldly. "_Perhaps once you find your Trickster and at least keep him in your custody, I will consider giving you the information you demand._"

Ivan sat in his room in silence for a while. No matter what, he had to get Alfred back in the manor, by any means necessary. For his own means, and for General Winter. He needed to know what his father had known, prove that he could be a better leader than that man. He needed General Winter on his side.

"Consider it done."

* * *

><p>Alfred couldn't feel anything. He was slipping in and out of consciousness and his whole body trembled slightly with pain. He knew this was the work of the wall, he'd felt exactly like this before he knew he'd get over it in a little bit. For now, however, he was barely aware of what was going on around him. He could…hear voices. It took him a while to understand what they had said after they said it, but he had a fair grasp on it.<p>

"Poor guy, bet he touched the wall."

"Hey, check out those clothes. He's from the manor."

"No, look at his hands, he's definitely not from the manor."

There were three distinct voices, but Alfred could barely follow them or their conversation.

"Look at his aura."

"No…"

"We've finally got another one?"

Alfred's head throbbed as he tried to come up with coherent thoughts to follow their conversation. He tried to think about what they were saying, he really did, but he couldn't bring himself to do anything.

"With that level of magic…he's gotta be. He's got more than the last one!"

Alfred groaned, the first coherent thing he was able to do since he was stupid enough to try touching the wall again. The voices were quiet for a while, maybe consulting each other. Alfred was more than aware of the grass beneath him, so he wasn't completely out of it. He wondered how late it was, how long he'd been out like he was.

"I hope for our sakes he's not as foolish as the last one."

"Arthur wasn't that stupid."

"Yeah…I mean, showing off his magic to everyone was the best idea at the time, I'm sure. It's not what got us captured at all!"

"Both of you, be quiet, we don't know how much he can hear. He wouldn't even be ready for that kind of information if he doesn't even know who he is."

"Yeah? Look at him. He's gotta be 25. How long are we gonna wait until we think he's ready?"

"Maybe we should take him back with us. It would be for the best, right? That way we can figure out for ourselves if he really is ready. It's not like Nikolas hasn't done the same thing with the lord."

"True."

And then Alfred felt himself getting dragged. He felt himself slipping from consciousness once again, but he desperately tried to keep himself conscious. He was trying to understand what these people were saying around him, but he couldn't grip onto anything without his head throbbing enough to make him let go. He felt like this was important, but he couldn't bring himself to get his mind to stay.

"Don't worry, Trickster. You're safe with us."

* * *

><p><strong>Bah, short chapter is short. Not a lot could happen here because of how I want the chapters to go, but I was able to make it longer with the bit at the end. Another problem I have is I'm limiting myself to Alfred and Ivan's perspectives only and that's making this a problem because, otherwise, the last part could have gone smoother. It's still nice and mysterious so it's fine, in any case.<strong>

**Anywho, I should have posted last night, but since I didn't because I was stupid, you're getting a double update later today, once I write a little more! And a regular update tomorrow!**

**Anywho, plot's moved forward for sure now so we should all be excited! Anyway, please review! And I'll see you next time!**


	12. Hello

Chapter 12. Hello.

Alfred's head felt heavy as he woke up. His memory was wonky, both from that stupid spell Lord Braginski had cast on him and touching the wall…He couldn't remember a lot in between, maybe a few glimpses at running away…

That was when he noticed the fact that he was lying on a soft bed. That didn't make any sense, if anything he should be lying on the hard ground. What if they captured him after he had passed out? No, they couldn't have caught him.

Alfred sat upright and immediately tried to look around the room, but his head swam and he nearly felt sick just sitting there.

"Oh, dear," a man sighed beside him and Alfred jumped. He didn't know that voice. Who the hell had taken him while he was passed out? God, he really regretted touching that stupid wall. His vision cleared slightly as he looked to where the voice came from. Kneeling beside the bed he was on was a…man? He had really long hair for a dude. He was blonde with bright blue eyes that seemed very concerned for him. Alfred's vision stopped swimming, but it was a little blurry without his glasses on.

"Who the fuck are you?" Alfred blurted out, leaning away from the man. Immediately, he heard another man laugh from somewhere else. He glanced around and noticed that he was in a house he'd never seen before. Cluttered on one end, the furthest from the door, were four beds, and on the other end was where the stove and the table sat. Two other men were at the table. The one laughing looked like some sort of cursed man with white hair and red eyes. The other one was the most normal looking of the bunch with brunette hair and green eyes.

"You're definitely not like the last one!" the albino cackled. "Oh, my God, I don't regret this!"

"You shouldn't be so rash with how you wake up," the long haired one scolded him, but stood up with a slight flourish anyway.

"Still not answering my question," Alfred muttered. He assessed the magic of the people in front of him. It was weird because he'd never seen anyone like these three before and it wasn't like their town was exactly huge. Who were these people? They had a fair level of magic around them, but he could figure that most of it wasn't to be used for their own purposes of casting, it was going to something else. He could easily take all three if he had to, but he wanted information first.

"Yes, yes," the long haired one sighed. "My name is Francis, the loaf laughing over there is Gilbert."

"That is the Awesome Gilbert to you," the albino chimed in. "Full title or nothing else, got it?"

"And I'm Antonio!" the brunette smiled brightly. "Nice to meet you!"

"And your name is?" Francis asked him.

"Alfred."

"Smart kid, he doesn't trust us," Gilbert smirked from where he sat. "Already a step better than the last one."

"Don't compare them," Francis snapped at him and Gilbert shrugged.

"Look, dudes, it's been fun and all, but I've got places to be," Alfred said, quickly getting to his feet. He felt slightly woozy, but he'd be able to manage. He was still in the clothes he fled in, but his boots were all the way at the door.

"Like in the hands of the soldiers looking for you?" Antonio asked and Alfred winced.

"How do you know about that?" Alfred asked.

"Who doesn't?" Gilbert asked. "Your face is kinda plastered all over the town. I've never been happier they can't find this place or else your face would be all over it, too."

Alfred's stomach dropped. They were still looking for him. What did that mean for Matthew? Were they doing anything to him? Arresting him because they thought he knew something? Confusing him for Alfred? Oh, Alfred hoped his brother was smart enough to keep his head down during a situation like this.

"You should eat," Francis offered. "Keep your strength up. That kind of magic saps a lot of energy out of you, even when you're not using it, right?"

"How do you know how much magic I have?" Alfred asked, glancing at the three suspiciously. He didn't know anything about these guys, who looked so comfortable around a person they didn't know, either. This was not a good position for Alfred to be in at all.

"Relax, Trickster," Gilbert stretched from where he sat. "We can see auras and shit. You're aura's massive, kid. Good job."

"Trickster?" Alfred asked. "What the hell is that?"

"In the best terms…" Antonio thought for a moment. "It's you."

"Now, at least," Gilbert shrugged.

Alfred glanced around the house again, scanning for any kind of magic item they could use against him. He noticed that three of the beds looked heavily worn, but the fourth one looked like it hadn't been used in years, just sitting there to collect dust. Weird… If they had an unused bed, why not have Alfred sleep there?

"You don't need to be uneasy around us, Alfred," Francis assured him. "We are friends."

"Yeah…Friends that just so happened to pick me up while I was in the middle of the woods," Alfred said. "I'm not stupid."

"What were you doing in the manor anyway?" Gilbert asked curiously from where he sat, leaning heavily on the table. "I know there was a big commotion getting you and I can only assume why because of Nikolas, but what were you doing if you weren't killed?"

Alfred was a little dumbfounded by the question. These three seemed to know quite a lot Alfred didn't. Firstly, there was that familiar name from that journal Alfred had kept. That was why the name Trickster sounded so familiar… And how did they know that he might have been killed?

"Who is Nikolas?" Alfred asked. If these guys knew so much, then maybe they could help him piece together something about that wall. Answer some of the questions that had been buzzing in his head for so long.

The three were quiet for a while and glanced between each other. Alfred couldn't help feeling annoyed, so they were keeping secrets, too? What the hell was so big that Alfred couldn't know anything, even when he might be directly involved in it?

"I bet you met someone special there," Francis said off-handedly as he calmly walked towards the table.

"That's it?" Alfred asked. "You're just going to ignore my question?"

"I've heard about the girls in the royal family," Gilbert smirked, happily latching onto the new conversation topic. "God, they're fucking hot, aren't they, kid?" Alfred sighed heavily. Who was Gilbert to call Alfred a kid? They were pretty much the same age by the look of them.

"I bet he has better taste than that," Antonio muttered, looking Alfred up and down.

As annoyed Alfred was at this sudden change of conversation, he couldn't do anything about it. He had to just roll with it then. If these guys knew as much as they let on, they wouldn't be bad allies. He'd just have to play his cards right. Get on their good side by not asking the wrong questions.

"I didn't fall in love there, if that's what you're asking," Alfred said bluntly from where he stood. As long as there were secrets, he didn't have to join these strangers at their table. He'd trust them once he was sure he could. Once they trusted him too.

"Nonsense, I can see it in your eyes," Francis smirked. "You found someone you can't stop thinking about. That brings you emotions that you didn't even know you had, at least not at that magnitude."

Alfred froze. No…No…There was a different between love and intense hatred. Alfred hated Lord Braginski, not…that other word.

"He's blushing!" Antonio laughed and Alfred nearly choked.

"Oh, come on, there's nothing to be ashamed of," Francis smiled and Gilbert gagged obviously from where he sat. Thankfully there was one person that realized how stupid this was. "I was desperately in love once, as well! I still think about ways that they would respond to me."

"Yeah, I bet he said something similar to 'fuck you', but with more class," Gilbert laughed and Francis glared at him.

"I don't have someone like that," Alfred shook his head.

"Denial is one of the phases of love," Francis sighed happily. "You can tell us who it is, we won't judge."

"No, there's no one in my life like that," Alfred shook his head. His mind raced back to that kiss. Alfred knew it was just his oxygen deprived mind that had him nearly wanting to kiss back. But…that was it. No hidden emotions of "love" or anything.

"It's not hatred, Alfred," Francis smirked. "Hatred is one of those few emotions that you save for the people closest to you."

"No," Alfred shook his head. "Hatred is an emotion you save for people you can't stand."

"You're probably thinking about them right now," Antonio snickered.

The blush on his face had grown even worse. Nope. No way in Hell. He wasn't…in love…with Lord Braginski. Hell, he didn't even know the man's first name! He couldn't love him. Alfred wanted to shudder at the thought, but he actually found that his heart was beating faster than normal. He flashed back to the kiss again.

"Hating and detesting are two very different things," Francis laughed. Alfred faltered slightly. Lord Braginski was the one that strangled him, nearly broke his wrist, tried to tear Alfred's memory from him. He was the one that wielded that black aura. And then Alfred remembered the times in the library, of the awkward, nice quiet. Alfred shook his head furiously.

"No," Alfred shook his head. "I don't love that man."

"Why can't you?" Francis smirked.

"It's…" Alfred slumped onto one of the unmade beds, looking at the ground so the men around him couldn't see his face. "Lord Braginski."

It was painfully quiet the room, the man's name hanging in the air for quite some time.

"You can forget what I said," Francis muttered.

"What?" Alfred snapped back up at him. All three men wore grave faces. "You were the ones pressing that-"

"We say stupid things all the time," Antonio laughed.

"You know, I say slit the guy's throat, that's what I've wanted to do this whole time," Gilbert shrugged.

"But you said-" Alfred was cut off again.

"It's obvious I was mistaken," Francis laughed. "You don't hate Ivan, you detest him, right? Just like you were trying to say."

"How do you know what his first name is?" Alfred asked. He hadn't even known that they had gotten a new lord until he saw Lord Braginski…Ivan. For some reason, putting a first name to him made him seem…closer. No! No, that thought did _not_ just pop into his head. That was a total lie.

"We're the most awesome spies, ever," Gilbert winked. "We get the info we need without getting harmed!"

"I would say it is best to forget any emotion you have to the lord," Francis said. "That will make what you have to do in the future easier."

"What will I have to do in the future?" Alfred asked.

"Nothing you need to worry about," Antonio hummed with a happy smile on his face. "That man's bad mojo, just stay away."

"You guys are so freaking bipolar," Alfred muttered, shaking his head. He didn't get it. One second, they were pressing that Alfred was in love with…Ivan…And now they did a quick turn, all because they knew who he was? What was going on here? Alfred didn't get it. It was easier trying to deal with Ivan and his crazy sister than it was dealing with these guys.

"Imma go get some more food," Gilbert stretched, quickly getting to his feet and walking to the door. "Any requests?"

"Don't kill a rabbit this time," Francis sighed. "I have a hard time bringing myself to cook one of those."

"Kid?" Gilbert asked.

"Thanks, I'm good," Alfred muttered. It was still tense in the room after Gilbert nearly slammed the door closed. Antonio started to tell a joke.

* * *

><p><strong>Oh, new characters! How I love you and the secrets that you hold! They're pretty much on the same boat as General Winter here, in that they know pretty much the whole story of what's going on, but they're keeping things secret from Alfred because they want to protect him. How sweet. Francis also helps Alfred dealing with his emotions of love, so that helped plot along later in life. I also love the Trio and their dynamics. Gilbert obviously has no problems sharing a few secrets, but Francis wants to keep a few things bottled up, I wonder what?<strong>

**Interesting…Anyway, that's it for this author's note! Please review! It's very kind of you!**


	13. Return

Chapter 13. Return.

Alfred stared out of the window in interest as the small house stayed actually kind of peaceful. Gilbert had come back with a dead rabbit, insisted Francis cook it, and so that was what he was doing. The other two made small talk while Alfred simply sat on the bed he'd woken up in while he stared out the window. He could see the wall, the familiar moss and vines crawling up to reach the top. Alfred was almost jealous of the plants, being able to touch what he couldn't.

"I've been thinking," Alfred finally said when he found a moment of silence that allowed him to worm himself into the conversation.

"That doesn't sound like a good thing," Gilbert snickered.

"Hilarious," Alfred rolled his eyes and turned to face them. "There's this rumor around town that there's this group of guys that live close to the wall, but no one can find them, not even the lord, so they don't have to follow any of the laws."

"I'd think that'd be us," Antonio shrugged.

"There's another rumor that you guys are immortal," Alfred said. "This story's been going on for generations, but you guys don't even look old at all."

"It was a spell put on us a long time ago," Francis said with a soft smile as he idly messed with the meat searing on his pan. "I don't think he did it on purpose, but it's kept us alive long enough to find you, his successor."

"Who is this guy?" Alfred asked. "You can at least tell me something."

"There's a place in the manor," Gilbert piped up before the others could stop him. "We've never found it. But Nikolas…a lord from a long, long time ago, built his entire castle around one thing, making sure that no one could find this one dungeon. Because he couldn't destroy it. That's him."

"Like…a secret dungeon…" Alfred muttered. He almost remembered something like that…stairs and a hallway, but the memories stopped short. Ivan…That was the memory he erased from him.

"He will do anything to keep our old friend from…getting out, let's say," Antonio shrugged. "The old lord, that is. In theory, he's been dead for a while, but his spirit attached to an object, it might have been…our friend did that to him."

"He's been controlling the lords since him to keep this town running the way he wants," Francis continued for them. "He built the wall, with a little help, at least."

"Wait, this guy, Nikolas, made that wall?" Alfred asked. "That doesn't make any sense. I…I found this journal entry from a long time ago, written by him...he hated magic. That wall is made up by pretty much only magic."

"The past you was a little spiteful," Gilbert smirked. Alfred was confused now. His past self? Did this have something to do with that Trickster conversation from before? "Nikolas hated magic more than anything, so the past you left him a little parting gift."

"Anyway," Francis sighed. "This past…self, let's call him. Nikolas wants more than anything to destroy him. And anyone like him. Including you." That would explain the black aura…Was Ivan being controlled by Nikolas? By the looks of the auras, it looked like Ivan was the one in control, but was that really the case?

"We'd prefer for you to stay safe until you can actually protect your past self and get rid of Nikolas, but we're out of time," Antonio shrugged. "We'll have to rush it a bit."

"Out of time before what?" Alfred asked.

"It's an old rhyme, it doesn't mean anything," Francis sighed, shaking his head. "It's only a slant rhyme, too."

"A slant rhyme that's been right every single time," Gilbert scoffed. "The Trickster will always die at the age of twenty-five. More like a warning than a rhyme, I think."

"What?" Alfred asked.

"It's a…very long story," Francis sighed. "It will take quite a while to come to terms with, but we will need to make sure you are focused."

"Focused on what you think is best," Alfred shook his head. "How do I even know you've got this whole thing right? If I'm gonna die this year, I don't want to waste time!"

"That should have been one we held off on for a while," Antonio muttered.

"No, stop keeping secrets!" Alfred snapped. "I'm not a kid! I can handle this! Besides, how do I even know if you're telling the truth?"

"I say let him do what he wants," Gilbert muttered. "We've got some time, I think. He'll come back to his senses and get back here on the right track."

"Stop that!" Alfred snapped, getting to his feet. "Stop…assuming what I'm going to do. Stop saying what I'm going to do. You don't even know me! You knew a…a past me, apparently. News flash, that wasn't me!"

"I know full well that he wasn't you," Francis scoffed.

"Yeah, obviously he was so much better and wiser than me," Alfred shook his head and quickly walked to the door. All three moved towards him.

"Don't go out there," Antonio spoke first.

"I was kidding with what I said earlier," Gilbert laughed slightly. "I'm awesome, I kid like that."

"You're not keeping me prisoner here, I can leave when I want to," Alfred muttered. If he was just going to sit there and not understand anything, he had better things he could be doing. He could check on his brother, make sure he's alright. He needed a good plan to lay low for a while. He opened the door and Gilbert was immediately next to him, holding onto his shoulder.

"Kid, you've gotta stay here," Gilbert said. "For your own safety, got it?"

"Try and make me," Alfred said and quickly left the house. Surprisingly, the three stayed quiet and inside of their little house as he walked away. He cast the spell that made him invisible once again and started walking. All he had to do was walk towards the center from where he saw the wall and he'd get to some part of town he'd recognize eventually. Alfred gripped his fists tightly as he let out a groan.

What the hell was with these random people coming into his life and messing it up? It had been so easy just a few days ago. Then Ivan kidnapped him, Francis made him think he loved the lord…and those three insisted they knew what was best for him! Alfred didn't even know if he could trust them! He didn't know if he could trust anyone!

He had to find his brother, talk to him about this. He'd help him decide what to do. Definitely not go back to the manor, but maybe go back to those three. Talking it out with Matthew always helped Alfred get his head back on straight. Right now, too much information was swirling at once and he had to get it all cleared up.

He walked into town easily, keeping up his invisibility and easily moving around without getting touched or noticed. He could see soldiers every few feet, all of them accompanied by at least one mage, but most had two. Alfred only hoped that his spell could cloak his magic from the mages. He suck past them and immediately towards the small house he shared with his brother, hoping to God that he would be there.

Alfred casually opened the door, biting his lip. As soon as he entered the house, he dropped his spell and looked inside. Everything looked the same as the day he left it, which was a relief. Matthew was still there keeping it orderly, making sure nobody would try to steal from them.

And then Alfred noticed his brother, who was standing up from his chair where his breakfast sat at the table, his jaw dropped.

"Are you crazy?" Matthew muttered and Alfred laughed slightly before pulling his brother into a tight hug.

"Yeah, I'm fucking nuts," Alfred laughed slightly.

"You broke out?" Matthew asked, looking at him seriously after they separated. "And you disappear for a day? And then you show up? What have you been doing?"

"It's a long story," Alfred shook his head. "But I'm here to stay, I promise. I'm gonna go into hiding and they won't find me. They'll give up eventually."

"You haven't seen Lord Braginski," Matthew shook his head.

"Wait, you have?" Alfred asked. It wasn't customary for the lord to show himself anywhere. Anytime.

"He's been looking for you with the soldiers," Matthew muttered. "I've been staying out of sight so he didn't mistake me for you. He's…he's pissed off Al. What did you do?"

"It was him!" Alfred protested. "He was the one that…that stole my memory from me! This isn't my fault! I ran because it was the smartest thing to do!"

"They're not going to stop looking for you, Alfred," Matthew shook his head. "They're going to turn this town upside down trying to find you."

"Well, they're not gonna," Alfred muttered.

"It might be best if you just go with him," Matthew said and Alfred stared at his brother in shock. "I know you can handle yourself. But there are people suffering here, getting kicked out of their homes and arrested because Lord Braginski thinks they're helping you. We need to stop this now."

"He's going to kill me," Alfred snapped. Sure, he didn't have full proof of that, but considering how badly he wanted to find him again, that was all the proof he needed.

"I don't know what to tell you," Mathew shrugged.

"They're not gonna find me, I'm going to find some way to fix this," Alfred said, patting his brother's back before going to the door. "Trust me. I can do this."

He cast his invisibility spell once again before his brother could protest and he left out the door. He started running down the street. He had to stop this. He had to stop Ivan. He could do this. He had to make him focus on something worse…Alfred bit his lip. He could try casting something against the wall. If it worked, they'd have something else to worry about and Ivan would be forced to do something else. But that wasn't a sure plan. What if he failed? He'd get caught…

Alfred didn't even see the person in front of him before he ran right into the man. He stumbled backwards, his spell falling and he looked with wide eyes at the soldier that recognized him immediately.

"Shit," Alfred cursed as he turned around and started to run, but he already felt the dampening spell on him. The soldier started shouting and more soldiers around them started shouting more. Within seconds, every escape Alfred had was blocked. He was surrounded by mages. They all cast the spell at the same time, knocking him out easily.

* * *

><p>Ivan stormed through the crowd that was already growing. Everyone moved for him, his aura intimidating enough to be felt without needing to be seen. They all recognized him from the past day that he'd been nearly ransacking the town trying to find Alfred. He brushed past the wall created by the soldiers and mages and he could see Alfred, who was hovering in the spell that completely encompassed him.<p>

"Your orders, sire?" a soldier asked him.

"Keep the spell over him," Ivan commanded. "Return him to the room he was in previously, make sure there is no possible way for him to escape. He is not allowed out without our express permission, given to you in person."

"Milord," the soldier bowed to him and the orders were relayed. The townspeople were shooed away from the scene and Alfred was moved. He didn't even so much as twitch.

"_Very forward of you,_" General Winter said smugly. "_Like a proper lord._"

"Our deal, Winter?" Ivan asked him coldly. It was enough he had to act like a ruthless leader and make the town believe it, but he had no choice. He had to understand, he needed to know. Then he could decide if he truly wanted General Winter's control.

"_Patience_," General Winter said. "_All in due time. Return to the manor, you can't be seen out here with the peasants for long_."

Ivan grit his teeth as he did as he was told, walking behind the soldiers and towards the manor that seemed to tower over everything. He balled his hands into fists. He didn't want to be looked at like a ruthless leader that only wanted to intimidate. He had sworn General Winter wouldn't control him and yet there he was, obeying his orders like a good soldier. He looked at Alfred ahead of him, peacefully unaware of the hardships of the world. Wherever he may have gone, Ivan envied him. It must have been a nice break.

* * *

><p><strong>Well shit happened. Lots of things happened. Things were given away, but just slightly, and Ivan's trying to figure himself out and he's getting tougher on things. Alfred's going back to the manor, but things won't return to what they were like before. It's all so fun and interesting and things are about to get really good really soon and I'm so happy! I've been waiting for these plot twists longer than you guys, trust me!<strong>

**Please review! It's very nice of you!**


	14. Sitting Duck

Chapter 14. Sitting Duck.

Alfred couldn't breathe. He felt like he was completely suffocated, unable to move, hardly able to function. He opened his eyes and focused all of his attention on bringing air into his lungs. It took more effort than it should have. He breathed out heavily. His mind felt like it was swimming in soup and even blinking took more effort than it should have. He took his time getting used to this new way of breathing. This was definitely weird.

He searched his mind, trying to come up with memories of what happened. Anything would work, honestly. His mind raced before he actually caught a memory, and his felt lightheaded from all the work, nearly forgetting how to breathe again. He had ran into Matthew. He was safe, wasn't he? Breathe…

He had to breathe.

More memories. He searched, he knew something was wrong, he wasn't with his brother, but he couldn't bring himself to move, think, and breathe at the same time. Too much effort, too much focus. He searched.

The mages found him again. He was back at the manor.

Alfred's breathing hitched as the full reality hit him. The dampening spell was more powerful, that was why he felt so weird. It cut off all of his magic from him and he obviously didn't know how to function well without it. He tried to move, but his limbs worked too slow. He forgot how to breathe again.

He laid down on the bed for a while, staring wide eyed at the ceiling. He was so fucking close! He had almost gotten away, but now he was stuck, feeling like a fish out of water. He should have listened to those three…He should have stayed in hiding. His brother could have handled himself. Breathe…In and out…

Ivan had basically crippled him to make sure he couldn't escape. What was next? Kill him like that aura wanted? Alfred practiced with moving his fingers. He didn't want to have to get used to living like this so he could stay as Ivan's fucking pet. Damn that man. Damn him to Hell.

Alfred tried again to sit up. No thinking. Just breathing and moving. He could figure this out. Once he had sat up completely on the bed, he turned to breathing and thinking. He was in the same room he had been for his whole stay at the manor. It was like nothing had changed. And Alfred was sure that Ivan would make sure nothing would change. Breathe.

Alfred shook his head and focused on standing, which was a very bad idea. His legs immediately buckled under his weight and he fell to the floor. He groaned, but he focused on breathing. He was sort of getting the hang of this. He looked at the door and glared at it. There would be guards there, he knew it. Guards that would only let him do certain things certain times of the day. Like usual, there was clothing, sitting out and waiting for him. He glared at that, too.

He eventually made it to his feet and was able to stay there, at least a little wobbly. He took a few deep breathes and then went back to thinking. So he would have to find another way out of this. But Ivan probably wouldn't be so easy to get past again. And he wasn't about to just bat his eyelashes and ask nicely. Alfred glanced at the window and noticed that the sun was setting. If he guessed correctly, that would mean that it would be just about time for dinner. And Alfred was sure that Ivan would have ordered the guards that, if Alfred was awake, he'd have to attend.

Well, he would have to fight back as much as he could.

The door to the room opened and Alfred guessed it was for the guards to check if he was awake and they seemed genuinely surprised. Alfred had to wonder how long he'd been out for if that was their response.

"The Lord requests your presence at dinner," one of the guards said.

"Requests or demands?" Alfred asked.

"Get yourself dressed and we will take you there," the guard sighed. He was obviously done with his shift. Alfred smirked.

"How about you make me?" Alfred challenged. In actuality, he probably needed help getting dressed, but he wasn't about to say that. He also probably couldn't fight, but they didn't need to know that.

The mage beside him sighed and Alfred noticed just then that he couldn't see their auras. At all. They were blank and dull, just like the rest of the room. Alfred couldn't even see the magic that the mage cast and was genuinely surprised when he found that the mage cast a spell that forced him into the outfit set out for him.

Alfred was so dumbfounded by this new discovery that he actually allowed the guard to basically pull him out of the room and down the hall. Alfred grew more and more depressed as he passed more people, all of them without an aura for him to see. Was this how regular people saw the world? It was so…boring and dull.

He only came to his senses when they were in front of the door to the dining hall and he forced himself to get his act together. He couldn't look depressed in front of Ivan. Luckily, breathing was becoming easier for him. He put on a steely face as the door opened and Alfred didn't look up, he just looked down. Whatever Ivan was pulling, Alfred refused to let the man know he was affecting him. Alfred walked easily enough to his usual seat and sat down, thankful he didn't have to work his legs very much.

There was a place set out for him with food, so Ivan was waiting for him to wake up and join them.

"I'm happy to see you awake, Alfred," Katyusha said happily and Alfred just stared at the food. He was starving, but he couldn't let that be known and so he just sat there.

"You should eat before we encounter the same problem as last time," Ivan said and Alfred froze. He didn't expect the butterflies that would go crazy in his stomach at the sound of his voice, or the fact that he had to remind himself how to breathe once again now that he knew for sure that Ivan was in the room. Oh, shit…Damn Francis.

Alfred just stayed quiet. He hadn't tried to speak yet and he didn't know how hard that would be. No way would he embarrass himself in front of Ivan. Alfred was sure everything that happened was just because of how much he hated Ivan. Yeah, that was right. He hated the lord, with everything he had. He just felt weird because his hate was too much for him to bear.

Yeah…

"Do not disobey brother," Natalia said coldly beside him and Alfred stayed right where he was. He just didn't have to look up. He just had to breathe. He couldn't let Ivan know how much this spell was affecting him. Let the man know that he wasn't weak.

"You are being rather compliant," Ivan hummed and Alfred twitched. "We would have thought you would be more violent than this. Perhaps your time asleep has affected you more than you anticipated." Alfred could practically _hear_ the smug smile on the man's face and he gritted his teeth. Then, before he could stop himself, Alfred quickly gripped onto that stupid fork and that stupid knife, and he hastily ate the stupid food.

His arms moved easier than he thought they would, which was a good thing. He still didn't look up. He just focused on his food, he focused on breathing. He refused to talk.

Alfred couldn't feel the black aura anymore and that set him on edge more than anything. At least when he could see the black aura, he knew when it was more angry than most days. He could tell when it really wanted to kill him, when it had control of Ivan. Now Alfred had no clue. He hated it. He wished he could just punch Ivan in his stupid face.

"We are glad to see you are enjoying yourself here," Ivan said happily and Alfred gripped hard onto the stupid fork and stupid knife.

"Fuck you," Alfred muttered coldly. In a second, he heard the chair beside him clatter to the floor and he realized how stupid he really was. Natalia was so protective of her brother that she had nearly stabbed him before. And now Alfred was sure his magic wouldn't heal him. He felt a burning pain on his cheek when the knife sliced into him and he dropped the stupid fork and stupid knife.

The burning pain even stayed when Natalia picked up her chair once again and sat down calmly. Ivan said something to scold her, but it was half-hearted. The wound wasn't healing. Alfred felt his hands shake and immediately hid them under the table. Shit. This wasn't good at all.

"Are you scared, Alfred?" Ivan asked coldly and Alfred felt the temperature in the room shift. That must have been that stupid aura. Nikolas, was it? Alfred definitely refused to look now. He had no magic, no strength, it took all of his focus to do three things at once. Dammit, he was so defenseless, he hated it!

"I'm going back to my room," Alfred said simply. And then he added sarcastically, "If that's alright with you, sire."

"You have our permission," Ivan said happily and Alfred stood up simply. God, he hated this. He hated it so much. He couldn't do anything, he was a sitting duck. Guards stood at his sides once again as he walked back to the door, finally looking up only when he was right in front of the door. "Wait." Ivan ordered and the guards made him stop, not even opening the door.

Dammit, he was so close to getting a least out of Ivan's line of sight.

"Turn him around." His voice was so cold, more like the merciless leader Alfred expected him to be. Alfred was turned around by the guards and he was all but forced to look at Ivan's face. The deep purple eyes that matched the aura Alfred remembered. Alfred noticed that he could vaguely see the black aura around Ivan. Even with all of the suppression over him, he could still see it. How powerful was it? "We can't leave you wounded, can we?" Ivan smiled and placed his hand on Alfred's stinging cheek. Alfred immediately flinched back.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Alfred snapped. His voice croaked slightly from lack of use, but that was it. He was still remembering to breathe. Ivan just continued his smile and kept a better grip on Alfred's cheek. He felt the wound heal.

"All better, yes?" Ivan smiled and patted Alfred's shoulder. He was speaking warmer to Alfred. That was completely evident. He turned around to go back to the table and ordered his soldiers in that cold voice again. "Return him to his room."

Alfred was left speechless as he was walked out of the dining hall and back to his room. The butterflies were back, but Alfred tried to push them away. As soon as the door to his room was closed, he let out a groan and fell to the floor. This wasn't good. Ivan had full control over him. His magic. His physical ability. His mental capacity.

Alfred was in no good position, not at all. God, he was so useless. He felt his hands beginning to shake.

Okay, what about that past life of his? What would he do in this situation? Would he have more tact? He wouldn't be feeling that way about the fucking lord of the town, reason for all of his hardships. He would be smarter than that. But Alfred couldn't control it. His…anger, right. He couldn't control his anger to just not think about Ivan anymore. This would be a lot harder than last time.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, look at that. Alfred's back. This chapter was hard to write, but then again, I haven't actually written for a while (I have a lot of chapters pre-written) so this was me getting back into the groove of things. And finals are done now! So I can focus only on this and so you'll get more chapters now that that's done and over with! So get excited! I'll try to post once every few days, but we'll see how that works out. Family and all of that shit, you get it.<strong>

**And, I'm usually never up this late, but it's still Friday to me, so that's cool. And you'll get another chapter on Saturday...probably nine hours from now...**

**Anywho, please review! It's nice!**


	15. Normal

Chapter 15. Normal.

Alfred spent the whole night practicing how to move properly. He couldn't be completely useless and, as much as he hated being forced to get used to this predicament, he had to figure out some way around it. Breathing came naturally by the end of the night and moving, though he had to focus a little bit, came easily. His thoughts still raced, trying to find some possible way to get his magic back. At least a little bit, he could at least do something then. He tried throughout the night to at least cast a simple spell, but there was nothing. He couldn't even see the magic on the wall. It infuriated him to no end. Next time he saw Ivan face to face…

Alfred shook his head, clenching his fists. It was morning now and he had maybe an hour of uncomfortable sleep. He was tired, but there was no way of getting to sleep. Breakfast passed without any commotion, Ivan wasn't even there to start anything. And then Alfred was forced back into his room. He wasn't allowed to walk anywhere without people always watching him. Ivan was being careful.

And then the door opened again and Alfred was confused. It wasn't time for lunch. But the guard simply said that he had to follow them and Alfred did, curious. He was still on edge as he walked, passing by the usual, familiar parts of the manor that he had seen last time. He nearly stopped in his tracks when he heard something. It was a familiar voice that rang through his ears and he would have stopped if the guards didn't push him forward again.

_Please come back._

Alfred shook his head as he continued to walk. That was weird…He faintly remembered it happening before, but his head began to throb just thinking about it and so he stopped. He shook it out of his head. What had even happened in the first place?

He focused again when he was forced to a stop in front of familiar doors. Now he was definitely curious. He could have sworn that Ivan wouldn't allow him back in there, especially after everything, but the guards open the door for him and all but pushed him inside of the familiar library.

"What the fuck is this?" Alfred snapped as soon as the door closed.

"So you have gotten used to your lack of magic," Ivan hummed from the other side of the room. Alfred narrowed his eyes and noticed that the paper that Ivan had placed on top of that bookshelf was gone now, most likely hidden among the other books once again. The mess Alfred had left was gone as well. Alfred could faintly see that black aura, but he didn't say anything about it.

"Yeah, or maybe I was just fucking tired because I was dragged to fucking dinner a minute after I woke up," Alfred snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. "Your stupid spell isn't affecting me like you think it is." Luckily, Ivan wasn't looking at him, or his string of thoughts would become all jumbled and he didn't need that. It looked like Ivan was trying to find something in the bookshelf. "Why the hell am I here? You didn't answer my first question."

"We didn't think we should dignify it with a response," Ivan said simply.

"Cut the bullshit," Alfred said bluntly. "We both know you don't normally talk like that."

"Perhaps we do," Ivan said and Alfred gritted his teeth. Ivan was colder. Alfred had been gone for maybe a day and something happened to Ivan. He was complying with that aura…with Nikolas. Alfred at first didn't believe those three about him being controlled, but maybe they were right. What did Nikolas have over Ivan now that he didn't have before? Did it have to do with Alfred? "How much did you practice moving?"

"I didn't need practice," Alfred lied easily. "So are we back where we started? You're just going to pretend nothing happened? Like your stupid memory spell didn't work on me?"

"It worked," Ivan chuckled simply and Alfred snapped. "You do not remember, do you?"

Alfred cursed under his breath and, without thinking, ran forward. He held his hand in a tight fist and held it raised at Ivan, but when he was just about to bring it down, he stopped moving. None of his limbs were moving.

"Have you forgotten about our magic?" Ivan chuckled and Alfred dropped to the ground, nearly falling on his back, but catching himself. He was still too slow…

"Yeah, I did," Alfred smirked, standing up. He knew this was stupid, oh, he knew it was, but that didn't matter at this point. "It's hardly magic, especially compared to mine."

"We can test it out of you would like," Ivan smiled as he turned around. Yeah, the black aura was stronger than it usually was. Ivan was feeding it, giving it exactly what it wanted. With a flick of Ivan's wrist, Alfred was flung back, but he didn't hit the ground or a wall or anything, he was stuck in midair. And he still couldn't move.

Ivan brought him down to eye level and swiftly gripped onto Alfred's shirt. Alfred could clearly see the aura from here, see how it was actually dripping into Ivan's eyes. Ivan glared at him darkly and a shiver ran up Alfred's spine. This was going to be a lot harder than last time.

"You are the weak one now, isn't that right?" Ivan asked simply.

"Yeah, great job," Alfred shrugged. "Was that you? Or Nikolas?"

Ivan's glare grew even colder, along with the rest of the room, and Alfred couldn't even blink before magic slammed him into the nearest wall, knocking the air out of him and his head rang while he fell to the ground. He sat still for a while, recovering while his vision swam and he regained his bearings. It looked like Ivan wasn't about to hurt him anytime soon, but Nikolas had no problem with it.

"How did you discover his name?" Ivan asked, kneeling in front of Alfred and quickly holding onto Alfred's hair tightly, making him look up.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Alfred smirked.

Ivan swiftly looked over him. "Tell me."

Alfred bit his lip the second he felt it move without his permission. Ivan was using a truth spell on him, but Alfred could fight it, even without his magic. He wasn't about to be weak. But when he found that he was going to talk, whether he liked it or not, he made a new plan. He had to tell the truth, but only to a certain extent.

"These three guys I know," Alfred blurted out and Ivan sighed.

"Who?" Ivan asked. He was obviously going to be very impatient with this. Alfred would have to work pretty hard.

"Oh, you know, guys in town," Alfred smirked. Ivan gripped harder onto his hair. It was getting colder. So cold that Alfred was beginning to lose feeling in his hands and feet. He gripped onto Ivan's arm, trying to pry it away from him, but Ivan was stronger than him with the spell suppressing him so much.

"Names." Ivan ordered.

"Sorry, don't know their whole names," Alfred tried. He didn't know if Ivan knew about the three that explained at least a little bit to him, but he would try for as long as he could.

"First names," Ivan narrowed his eyes.

"Mine? Only got one," Alfred shrugged. He was running out of escapes. "Isn't it a great one?"

"Give me the first names of who told you General Winter's name," Ivan said coldly.

"Francis, Antonio, and Gilbert," Alfred muttered quickly and Ivan relaxed slightly, but still kept a tight grip on Alfred's hair. It was silent in the room while Ivan appeared to be thinking, though Alfred could only assume what was going on in the man's head.

"Where are they?" Ivan asked carefully.

"Don't remember," Alfred shrugged honestly and he thanked God he could do it.

Ivan sighed and stared at him simply. It started to get warmer, for which Alfred was thankful. Oh, how Alfred regretted including Ivan in that stupid festival. He should have just called in sick that day. He shouldn't have shown his magic to him.

"Our goal was to return to normal," Ivan said, almost sadly, and Alfred's attention locked back onto him. "We allowed you to return to our library and it was you that disrupted the peace first."

"Nothing's going back to normal," Alfred said simply.

"We have noticed," Ivan said coldly.

"So what now?" Alfred asked. "We can't go back to being _best_ _friends._ What's your ingenious plan now?"

"You will learn to deal with it," Ivan smirked slightly, releasing Alfred and carefully standing up. "You are not to move without those guards and they will not move for quite some time. You are only allowed to be here, in your room, or at meals when we order it. You will return to normal eventually."

"You can't make me do anything," Alfred protested, getting to his feet.

"We do not want to control you with a spell, but if that is what it will take, we will be happy to," Ivan said simply, hardly looking at Alfred as he moved to his favorite bookshelf. "You can choose to spend this time in pain or you can choose to return to normal."

"And read books I'm not allowed to read?" Alfred scoffed. "Or read about magic I can't use?"

"That is what we are expecting you to do," Ivan said simply with a cocky smile. "You may read some of our own books if you would like."

"Fuck you," Alfred growled.

"Do not make empty threats," Ivan hummed.

* * *

><p>"<em>You're still soft on him<em>," General Winter said and Ivan sighed while he focused on his work. It was past dinner, Alfred would have been forced to bed by now, but Ivan was still awake, dealing with work. The town was disrupted quite a lot with what Ivan had done to retrieve Alfred and so he had to work carefully around it. He had to make sure everything really could return to normal. General Winter seemed to really want to talk with him, though, as usual.

"Am I?" Ivan asked. He hated being as violent and forceful as he had been with Alfred earlier, though part of it was General Winter himself. And Alfred was able to call him on it, even without his magic. Was Ivan really that obvious?

"_I'm thankful your interrogation did not turn into something else_," General Winter scoffed and Ivan gripped hard onto his pen. He had to stay focused, not allow General Winter to get to him. "_You have proven that you can keep him still. When you want to. Good job._"

Ivan froze. General Winter never complimented him. He constantly compared Ivan to his father or worse and always scolded him. Now he had done a good job?

"What are you getting at, Winter?" Ivan asked, setting down his pen for now."

"_You have proven you are of some use to me_," General Winter said simply. "_And you've finally learned my name, albeit from a source like the Trickster and his helpers. That has bound to have given you questions. I will answer some of them._"

Ivan was speechless. He had so many questions, especially from General Winter's response to Alfred earlier. No, he hadn't known General Winter's real name before then and he had no idea who those three people Alfred named were. But General Winter knew. He knew so many things Ivan didn't. But, there was a catch. "Some." Ivan couldn't learn the answers to all of his questions.

"The three men the Trickster mentioned. Who are they?" Ivan decided to ask a safe question first. After that, he could test his luck with his questions about the wall, General Winter's magic…and perhaps what was in the hidden dungeon.

"_Painful thorns in my side that refuse to die_," General Winter began and Ivan listened carefully. He had worked hard to gain this information and if it took more days like that one to gain more information, he was more than willing to work that way.

* * *

><p><strong>Ivan's learning things now…Gasp! But you won't learn anything from him quite yet. A few things need to happen before you learn that information. Teehee. Anyway, we got a nice moment of RusAme tension, oh hoho. Anyway, I'm hyper and I've been writing a lot today, so I'm a little loopy. <strong>

**Please review! I'll love you forever!**


	16. Let's Play

Chapter 16. Let's Play.

Every time Alfred passed by that one part of the hall, he could swear he could hear something. Every time he passed it, though, he forgot. That day, he was sure he wouldn't forget. He passed by with the guards on their way to the library and he listened. No matter how much it made his head ache.

He tried not to make it seem like he was acting any different than the other days. It had been a whole week. A week of nothing. He would go to all three of his meals and, in between them, he would be in the library and sometimes Ivan was there. Other than that, he was in his own room, which he was given so "graciously". He wasn't stupid enough to challenge Ivan again, not while he was still trying to find an advantage. He only ever read in the library when Ivan was nowhere to be seen.

As they passed, Alfred heard the voice like he always did. And he was damn sure he would remember it. This message was different than the others, though. The voice still sounded resigned and pained, almost tired. But it was a different message this time.

_Don't trust him._

Alfred was definitely curious now. His head was already beginning to pound, but he refused to let it go. Was he talking about Ivan? Nikolas? Alfred couldn't even tell. He shook his head slightly as they continued to walk. Alfred had to remember. When he was in this state, he could remember the things the voice said, and he started to remember that weird hallway…and something at the end of it. He tried to search through it. But his head hurt so bad, he could barely think.

They made it to the library and Ivan wasn't there, thankfully. It was after lunch and he looked busy, quickly eating before leaving without a word. So Alfred was left alone with his headache while he tried to come to terms with it. He nearly fell back, but he caught himself against the wall and another entirely different jolt of pain coursed through him.

_Can you still hear me?_

"Yes?" Alfred said slowly, keeping his hand pressed to the wall next to the door. He wasn't sure if this voice could hear him, it never really showed signs of it before. That image at the end of the stairs started to come to mind, Alfred could almost remember it, but he wasn't quite there yet.

_Your magic is dull._

"I noticed," Alfred muttered. Could this be…Those three had talked about his…past self being stuck in the dungeon. That must have been what he saw at the end of the stairs. But why was he talking back now? "I thought you couldn't hear me."

_I apparently couldn't hear you before I could see you_.

"Yeah?" Alfred asked. God, his head hurt, worse than it ever had. But he couldn't let go. He couldn't allow himself to forget. Not again. Not this time. "Who are you?"

_I guess you could say I was the Trickster._

"What does that name even mean?" Alfred asked.

_It's just a stupid name. So you've heard it? Was I right in my assumption?_

"That I'm the Trickster?" Alfred muttered. "I guess…I dunno." He winced as he fell to his knees. He couldn't take this for much longer, but he couldn't forget. He couldn't let go.

_I can give you some magic, but not all of it, I hope you understand. Magic is all that's keeping me alive._

"You'll give me some?" Alfred asked. "That doesn't make any sense."

_The mages are keeping your magic suppressed. Not mine. They don't know where mine is to suppress it. I can give you magic to use. As we're similar, it will most likely be easy for you to use. It will help with the memories that Lord Braginski took from you._

"Great, I'm all for it," Alfred shrugged. "Do what you gotta do."

_I can't believe you're my only hope._ The voice gave a sigh and Alfred narrowed his eyes and, suddenly, the world grew a little brighter. He could feel the magic course through him, but it was foreign, not his. His headache left him and the memories flooded back. That one part of the wall. He needed magic to open it, that was the problem. At the end of the stairs…a glowing orb. That was the former Trickster. _You need to use my magic to help me. You need to get me out._

"How?" Alfred scoffed. "Ivan was there the second I got into the dungeon the last time. He'll find me. He might actually kill me next time, too…"

_Not with our powers combined. Think about it, lad. We both have the magic of the Trickster, who has more magic than any man in the world. Double that. Not even Nikolas could stand against that._

"But-"

Alfred stopped himself when he saw the door of the library beginning to open. He used magic to teleport himself to the other end of the room, happy that it worked as well as he hoped he would. He laid on the couch quickly, his back to the door. His mind was racing, he had to think, but he couldn't. Ivan walked into the room and Alfred could feel the entirety of the aura again. It was distracted. Nikolas was calmed.

Alfred closed his eyes tightly, despite Ivan being on the other end of the room to him. The former Trickster…he needed him. And Alfred supposed he needed him right back. He had magic now, he had a little bit of free reign with what he wanted to do. Did he really want to save the former Trickster? Of course he did…but what would come after? Nikolas wanted him dead…He wanted both of them dead.

It was obvious that Nikolas had something stopping him from killing the former Trickster, but what would stop him if Alfred helped him out of where he was? Would they both get killed? Was that the only reason he was being kept alive? To get the other Trickster out in the open? Then again, the old Trickster had plenty of time to think about this. A lot more time than Alfred…

"Again?" Ivan asked from far away and Alfred tried not to flinch. Oh, God, he hoped that Ivan and Nikolas couldn't tell that he had magic in him again. He didn't know what would happen if they found out, but he knew it wouldn't be good. "You make me think that you don't sleep in our own room."

Then there was the fact that Ivan was a lot more closed off to Alfred than before. He was only soft when Alfred pretended he was asleep in the library so Ivan wouldn't bother him. Alfred always kept his back turned to Ivan, he didn't want to talk to him. But Ivan only showed his softer side when Alfred wasn't "conscious". Ivan was always so cold when they were face to face. It was all the fault of Nikolas. Maybe…just maybe…if Alfred could separate the two, he could stand a chance at getting to the real Ivan. The one he had gotten to know earlier.

But he figured he didn't have the time for that.

* * *

><p>Ivan was bored. He had gotten very bored recently. Alfred had been fun the first few days, but it was like he had just…given up. He would walk to the meals calmly, he would allow himself to get walked to the library, he would read or sleep. And he would just walk back to his room and sleep there. It was so mundane. So dull.<p>

And even after the information Ivan was able to learn, he still felt as if he knew nothing. He only got to know some information, nothing worth sharing, really. And now he was stuck in the library, with Alfred asleep. Or at least pretending to sleep. He sighed as he slumped onto a chair, reading a novel he had already read about 5 times. He was so…bored.

"This is so boring!" Alfred groaned as he sat upright. "If your big plan was to get us to return to normal or whatever the hell, then at least fucking try, right?"

"How can we try if you are always asleep?" Ivan asked, slightly amused. But something was…off. Alfred just suddenly decided to say something? What was his reasoning for it? What had changed?

"You should learn how to tell when someone's faking it," Alfred smirked slightly. "You're bored, right?" Alfred glanced at the book in Ivan's hands. "I've seen you with that book before."

"We rather enjoy this book," Ivan said.

"_He's planning something_," General Winter said. Ivan nodded.

"That doesn't mean you should read it more than once, even if you like it, that's gotta be boring," Alfred shrugged. "Let's do something, alright? Tomorrow we can still hate each other."

"What do you suggest?" Ivan asked.

"Chess," Alfred smirked. "I know you've got a set here, it's next to the shelf of magic books," Alfred smirked. "Why not give it a shot?"

"We thought you said you wanted entertainment," Ivan laughed slightly and turned back to the book, but he didn't read the pages. What had Alfred interested all of a sudden? He was clueless. He was interested.

"Then how about a bet?" Alfred shrugged. "I won't bet anything big like my magic or anything. Just something simple. That paper you took away from me a while ago."

"You want to read something so simple?" Ivan chuckled.

"_Do not allow him to read such a thing_," General Winter said coldly.

"And if I were to win?" Ivan asked.

"Let's bet something of equal value. You decide, I'll say if it's okay," Alfred smirked.

"Fine," Ivan nodded. "You stop all of your snooping. Forever."

"Deal," Alfred answered almost immediately.

"_Strange_," General Winter said. Ivan motioned to the chessboard. Alfred nodded and easily strolled to the chessboard. Why did he agree so easily? What had changed? Why was he acting so suspicious all of a sudden? Why wasn't he hiding it? There was no magic that Ivan could sense on him. So he was still under the spell. Even General Winter hadn't found anything.

Ivan sat down on the other side of the chessboard of Alfred. It had sat there for quite some time, untouched. Ivan never had anyone to play with in the first place. Even his father never played chess with him. But Alfred was a simple peasant, it wasn't like he had time to play chess in his free time. Unless he had something up his sleeve.

"You may move first," Ivan said simply, curious as to what Alfred would do.

Alfred smirked cockily before picking up his piece and placing it down. Ivan had to stop himself from laughing.

"Alfred."

"Yeah?"

"You just moved a knight," Ivan said simply. "And no piece moves in that way."

"What?" Alfred glared at the board, like it was his fault. "No way, man, that's the coolest looking piece, it's gotta move that way."

"Would you like lessons in chess before we proceed?" Ivan asked smugly.

"I don't need lessons," Alfred scoffed. "I know what I'm doing."

"Then move that piece back to where it was originally," Ivan smirked.

"I know where it goes," Alfred rolled his eyes. "I'm not that stupid."

"We're surprised you could actually do it," Ivan chuckled when Alfred replaced the knight and then stared at the board. "May we suggest that you take the pawn in the front of your bishop and move it forward two spaces?"

"I don't need your help," Alfred grumbled. "What the fuck is a bishop?"

"Why did you challenge us to this game?" Ivan hummed amusedly.

"I don't know what you're talking about, it's a fantastic idea," Alfred glared at him before taking a pawn and moving it forward one space.

"It is sure to be entertaining," Ivan smirked as he moved a pawn forward, ready to take the pawn, which he was sure Alfred wasn't even aware of. Alfred bit his lip and then proceeded to move the king halfway across the board.

* * *

><p><strong>Oh, Alfred. And you all expected him to actually have something up his sleeve. That's a funny joke. I like to think that Alfred likes to talk the talk but he can't walk the walk. So it's all funny and stuff. Maybe he's actually good but he's hiding it for later…Who knows. There's also the fact that he's made contact with the former Trickster, which is interesting in itself. I hope you're all excited for what's going to happen next, now that Alfred's got some magic up his sleeve again!<strong>

**Anyway, please review!**


	17. Powerless

Chapter 17. Powerless.

Alfred impatiently tapped his finger against his knee. It was dinner time, he couldn't make himself seem too excitable or jumpy. He glanced at Ivan across the table once again. He was just calmly eating as usual, in no hurry at all. But Alfred had been planning this all day. Since he lost that game of chess the day before, actually. He swore he wouldn't snoop, but he wasn't doing that, now was he?

He fought back a smirk as he took another bite of food, not really tasting it. But he was a little nervous. He had to use the little magic the other Trickster had given him to find that piece of the wall again and get down there as quickly as possible, before Ivan had a chance to stop him. He could do this, he just had to be prepared. And not give himself away before it happened.

It was quiet, which was weird, but Alfred wasn't about to disrupt it, gave him more time to think things through. So…what would he do after he got the old Trickster out? Would he make another run for it? Maybe get back to Francis, Antonio, and Gilbert? But there was still more to find out here, he knew it. He couldn't just run away all of his life. He didn't even know what would happen in the first place once the old Trickster got out. Hell, he hardly understood what a Trickster was and if he really was one.

Katyusha finished and got up and left. Alfred blinked back to reality. Okay, so his plan really was working out so far. He just had to wait for Natalia to leave. Ivan wouldn't allow him to stay there alone, so as soon as he was finished, Alfred would be forced to leave. They would go their opposite ways…Alfred would distract the guards, and then he would be in the clear to go for it. He could do this, even with as little magic as he had. And he still had the upper hand because Ivan didn't even seem to think he had magic again.

Natalia left.

Alfred didn't look up from his food, but he knew Ivan was looking at him. He was curious, at least. Alfred usually ate quickly and left first, especially at dinner, so he could just return to his room and "sulk". That was what Ivan thought he was doing. Except not now.

"You are acting strange today," Ivan noted offhandedly once they were alone, except for the guards.

"Just feeling a little sick, nothing big," Alfred shrugged simply, still looking down at the plate to hide his smile. He could do this, he really could. He could break this stupid stalemate Ivan created. He just couldn't give himself away. He was too close to allow that to happen.

"Then perhaps you should sleep," Ivan muttered and Alfred sighed in complaint, but stood up anyway.

"Whatever you say, milord," Alfred said sarcastically and swiftly turned around to smirk at the backs of the soldiers that would lead him away. Ivan stood as well to leave. Alfred had noticed that his plate was empty. This was working so perfectly, Alfred had to fight not to laugh. They both left and turned their respective directions. Alfred simply walked until they turned a corner and he knew Ivan was out of ear shot.

He groaned slightly, holding onto his stomach to add a little affect. The guards didn't seem to notice and he groaned just a little louder, not enough to attract Ivan's attention.

"Dudes, hold up a sec," Alfred muttered, leaning against the nearest wall. The guards glanced at each other and Alfred fought back a smile by biting his lip. For as much as they heard of him, he was feeling sick. He could play the part for a little while, let Ivan get all the way to the other side of the manor, while he was at it.

"Go to your room for some sleep," a guard stated.

"I'd love to if I could," Alfred groaned, letting himself fall to the ground. "God, I might puke." The guards took a small step back. Alfred closed his eyes and let himself look like he was in pain while he sat there. His hand brushed the wall and that voice immediately wormed it's way into his head.

_You're a terrible actor._

Alfred bit back any response for the voice as he groaned again, kneeling forward. Ivan was a fast walker, generally. But he needed to make sure he had enough time. Ivan would know the second he found that dungeon again.

"Just…just gimme a sec," Alfred muttered. "I'll be good in a bit…" He held tightly onto his stomach and groaned again, deciding not to touch the wall just in case he got random acting advice from the voice again.

They stayed in their spots for a few minutes and Alfred assumed that was enough time. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes, casting energy around him and the guards all flew back against the far wall, knocked out immediately.

Alfred was on his feet in seconds and he ran back to the dining hall, where he knew that part of the wall was. He pressed his hands against the wall to search for it, some kind of hollow point. The voice got into his head right after that, helping him out.

_You're too far to the right._

Alfred rolled his eyes and moved left. The wall reacted to his magic and it disappeared in a small doorway. Alfred knew he couldn't waste any time, so he didn't stand and stare for long before he ran down the familiar stairs. The door was still unlocked and he pushed the door open to stare at the gold ball. It was even more distracting than his memories of it before him. All thoughts he had before vanished from his head.

Why was he in such a hurry before? It didn't matter that much, right? He could take his time getting to that ball of light. There was a dull voice in the back of his head, but he could ignore it easily.

* * *

><p>Ivan had only just entered his room when he froze. The magic guarding that dungeon had been broken again. He was speechless, confused…lost. Alfred had no magic, how did he…?<p>

"_What are you waiting for_?" General Winter demanded. "_Get him_."

Ivan cursed as he ran, using magic to make him faster. He knew Alfred was acting strangely, and yet he took him being sick as an answer? Just because he won a bet they made in chess? He was an idiot, an absolute idiot. He hated himself for it.

He nearly slid on the floor as he reached the familiar hole in the wall that lead to the dungeon and nearly fell down the stairs, he was moving so quickly. Yet, as soon as he reached the door at the end of the stairs, he was stopped by a magic barrier. Just like last time, he could see Alfred standing in the room, staring in interest at something Ivan couldn't even see. The dungeon was empty to him, it always had been, ever since his father showed it to him and told him of the hidden demon hiding inside.

"Alfred!" Ivan yelled as loud as he could, slamming his fist into the damn barrier he could never pass. Alfred didn't even look like he heard him. He took a small step forward, reaching his hand out. "Alfred! Get away from it!"

"_Wait_," General Winter said.

"Alfred!" Ivan yelled once again, ignoring the spirit. He at least knew that there was a problem with Alfred even being close to the thing in the dungeon. He had distracted him last time, he could do it again. His legs were shaking. Alfred was moving so slowly.

"_Ivan! Listen!_" General Winter snapped, but Ivan didn't.

"Turn around, dammit!" Ivan snapped.

And then he had no control of his body. He froze and his breathing hitched before it wasn't his to control anymore. He felt like he was shoved into the back of his own head, watching as someone else lowered his arms for him, making him stand still.

"Now that you are listening," Ivan's voice spoke, but it wasn't him. It was General Winter. He had the ability to completely control Ivan's body? Make him take the back seat? "I have a theory."

"_Winter!_" Ivan tried to speak, but it just came as the voice in his head. If he had control of his own body, he was sure it would be shaking. He could still see Alfred moving slowly towards an object he still couldn't see. "_What is this?_"

"I have had full control of you since the moment you took over after your father," General Winter spoke simply, as if it was a simple fact Ivan should have known. Ivan felt himself shaking again, but it was only inside of his own mind. Would General Winter give him control again? "Now, listen to me. Do as you are told and wait. I have a theory."

"_Give me control back_," Ivan demanded.

General winter laughed with Ivan's voice. "You will need to learn how it feels so you will not disobey me another time. I can see the magic energy in that room. They are about to merge. That means I will have a chance to kill the original problem."

"_Kill…_" Ivan muttered, watching Alfred inch closer. Why was he moving so slow? Ivan couldn't even see his face, but he could just imagine how distracted it must have been. "_Both of them?_"

"That would be what comes with killing one of them," General Winter said simply. He clenched Ivan's fists and moved his legs without Ivan's consent. Ivan had no way to describe the feeling of just being an observer. "You have a far better body than your father, I am impressed."

How was he so calm? Ivan was being forced to watch as Alfred, a man Ivan couldn't understand his own feelings for, walked to his certain doom. He would be killed. By General Winter. With Ivan's hands.

Finally, Alfred seemed to touch something and, Ivan could see it. Only for a second. He could see a flash of gold, a ball reaching out to touch Alfred and succeeding. But in that flash, the gold turned into a man. But it disappeared and Ivan felt a massive surge of energy that sent his body flying back onto the stairs. Alfred dropped to the ground heavily, but Ivan could…see the magic around him. General Winter made him stand.

"He has so much magic even you can see it," General Winter muttered and stepped forward. He was going to kill Alfred while he was unconscious from absorbing such a massive amount of energy. Ivan couldn't allow it to happen. "I was right."

"_Winter! Stop!_" Ivan demanded, but General Winter just laughed once again and continued to walk forward.

He reached Ivan's hand forward and Ivan could feel the magic surge through his body toward his hand. He couldn't let this happen. He had to stop it. He pushed forward as much as he could. If General Winter could change their places in his mind, Ivan could do the same, he was sure.

He felt winded for a moment as he regained control of his body. He dropped to his knees in front of Alfred and noticed that all of the magic energy in the room that kept him out for so long was gone. Ivan felt himself shaking as he leaned over on the ground.

"_Ivan!_" General Winter growled and Ivan smirked. "_Do not make the mistake of thinking you are in control. This is far beyond your quarrel._"

"I will not allow you to kill with my hands without my permission," Ivan said simply and looked closer at Alfred. His breathing was even, but Ivan could still see the magic around him. It was gold. Ivan focused to see Alfred's aura and he faltered when he noticed that there were two, very distinct auras. There was Alfred's usual bright blue, which was larger than the new one, but they both held more power than Ivan could even dream of possessing. This new one was a sparkling green, radiating energy that could only be held by something forced to sit still for 400 years. "We can discuss this later, Winter."

"_There is nothing to discuss_," General Winter said coldly. "_We will end both of their lives. Whether you want to or not._"

Ivan carefully moved forward and picked Alfred up. He was heavy, yes, but a simple spell fixed that. Ivan was careful to not let General Winter's murderous intent take him again as he moved to carry the man back to his room. He would think about what to do after that was finished.

As soon as he was back in the hallway, he closed the now useless door. The halls were quiet as usual, undisturbed to the chaos that had just happened only a few moments ago. Ivan sighed deeply. Why did Alfred continuously have to make his life harder and harder?

* * *

><p><strong>Well, damn. The General Winter thing was gonna be a thing later, but I liked having it right there. It worked out quite nicely. And it shows just how much power General Winter really has, and you thought he was powerless. Please. Ivan's the powerless one, but he's only just realized that. And Alfred did a thing with the past Trickster and, if you were paying attention in previous chapters, you would know who it is, but it'll be revealed next time, so don't worry!<strong>

**And Happy Holidays, this is my present to all of you guys, since it was a surprise update. So whatever you do or don't celebrate, I hope you enjoy the season!**

**And please take the time to review! It's nice!**


	18. Red

Chapter 18. Red.

_A little breeze. A bright and happy sky. He was a little kid, happily rolling around. Happy. Magic flowed so easily through his fingers and he let it play above him as he stared at the beautiful sky. It was perfect. Everything was perfect._

"_Arthur," a hushed voice of a woman scurried close to him and he looked over at her. She leaned close to him before holding him close. He was so short, he was below eye level even when she knelt down so low. "You need to be careful with that, don't let anyone see."_

"_I'm sorry," he muttered and he looked down at the grass. He always messed up. He knew. He knew he had to keep it a secret or the bad men would come and take him away, like they had that old family friend. She had been such a nice woman, but his mother said she was in a better place now._

"_Oh, it's okay," his mother smiled and pulled away slightly to thread her fingers through his hair. "You're my little Trickster, remember? You're magic is good and I want, more than anything, for you to practice it."_

"_How come you don't have magic?" he asked and his mother continued to smile._

"_I'm just not as special as you," she laughed slightly, mussing his hair slightly._

"_Tell me the story again!" he pleaded, holding onto his mother's shirt tightly. "About the Trickster!"_

"_Well," his mother laughed and swiftly picked him up, only to place him on her lap. He secretly allowed magic to play along the tips of his fingers as she spoke, coming up with images of what he supposed the people in the story represented. His favorite was the Trickster. He always imagined him as a big, strong man, with magic pouring off of him with an incredible aura. He wished he was like that… "A very, very long time ago, when everyone had magic and no one set out to kill it, there was a man with more magic than anyone. Some said that he swallowed magic whole and that was why he had so much."_

_He laughed. Swallowing magic, what a silly idea. To get something solid enough to eat would mean getting so much magic, it wouldn't even taste good at all._

"_And he brought peace when there were wars. He had the strength to be peaceful and kind and caring. And when he died, everyone in the world mourned his loss. Everyone with magic poured it to his grave, offering him help in the afterlife. And it was that pure amount of magic that caused a baby to be born. A baby with his magic, meant to survive for him. And that baby was a great man, too. And the cycle continued through the years. Even while men started targeting magic, afraid of it, the Trickster survived and brought prosperity with his magic. And all of those cycles lead to you, Arthur."_

_His mom petted his hair more and he smiled happily. He was special and important. He loved that story so much._

"_Even while hardly anyone wields magic, you hold even more than the Trickster before you," his mom continued. "And I know you'll do great things, you just need to keep it secret until you're ready and I promise you'll do great."_

"_Ma'am," a man said with a distinct, deep voice. His mother stiffened, holding him tightly, and she turned to face the man. "You are a part of the Kirkland household, correct?"_

"_I am," she said proudly, but her arms were shaking. He hoped he could help her, but he couldn't do anything._

"_You and your family are hereby under arrest for harboring information about enemies against the state," the man said clearly, as if he had read it off of a paper a million times. "We have received information that your family holds information about the Trickster."_

_His heart dropped and his mother looked petrified for only a moment before she gathered her wits and looked down to him. She smiled._

"_It's okay, love. You're not in trouble. Just follow your mother, okay?"_

_He nodded and she stood, so he stood as well, holding tightly onto her hand. She held her head high as she walked to the man dressed like a soldier. He could see more beyond him, more men. They were breaking windows and doors all around town now. He stood still, but his mother helped him forward. She proudly stood in front of the soldier, her arms held out in front of her, ready to be arrested. She had let go of his hand. He had trouble breathing correctly._

_The second shackles were placed on her hands, however, he lost it. He could allow her to be arrested. He cast a spell, just a simple one. It burned the chains on the shackles and he had never seen his mom look so scared._

"_You," the soldier immediately looked to him. His hand was still out from when he cast his magic. "You hold magic."_

"_No, sir that was me," his mother immediately interjected._

"_No matter what the case was, he is your offspring," the soldier said simply and he saw him pull out his sword. He was speechless. This was his fault. He just wanted to help…Why were they there? Because of him? Was it all his fault?_

"_No!" He shouted and, before the soldier could strike his mother, he used magic to block him. But he had attracted the attention of other soldiers._

"_Arthur! Run!" his mother shouted and he stared at her with wide eyes. She stepped in front of him. "I need you to run, love. As fast as you can, use as much magic as you need to. Don't let them find you."_

"_But…mum," he muttered, taking a step back. She didn't have magic to protect herself. She had nothing. He could help her, but she wanted him to run away._

"_Run!" his mother commanded, in a harsh tone he'd never heard before. "Now!"_

_He ran. He ran as fast as he could, when he tripped he use magic to help him back up. He heard his mother cry out and he glanced back, but immediately regretted it. The red. The red was scary, he didn't like it. He didn't like it at all. He ran faster, with the help of his magic, but he didn't know very much. The men were running towards him._

_He only realized he was crying, when the tears blocked his vision, but he kept going. He had to. His mom was okay, he could see her again, as long as he kept running. That was why she yelled at him. He wondered about the rest of his family. His father, his brothers…They were probably the same place as his mother…They were okay, now. It was okay…_

_He hid in a few bushes near a forest and allowed himself to try to calm down as the soldiers ran past him. But he didn't calm down. He didn't stop crying. The sun set and the soldiers still didn't find him, but he was still crying. His mother was okay, right? The red was just a fake, it was just make believe, he just imagined it. It was his imaginary friends playing jokes on him again, right? It had to be. His family had to be safe. His mom had to be safe._

"_Jesus, kid, what the hell are you doing away from your family?" a man scoffed and knelt behind him. He didn't look at him. He couldn't. He couldn't look up or at anything but the grass, otherwise he'd see red. "Shit…what the hell is happening?"_

_They were looking for him. The Trickster. His mother said that people wanted to kill him. They hated magic because they were terrible people. And he was one of the last people left with magic. They wanted him._

"_If you're alone…" the man muttered, but he didn't finish his thought out loud. "I wish I could help ya. But maybe the best option would be for them to find you, you'd be in a better place a little later."_

"_No!" he shouted and looked up at the man for once. He was scary, with white hair and red eyes, but he had a warm aura. It was red, but welcoming. It was happy. He couldn't stop himself before he hugged the man closely. The man immediately tried to backpedal but he kept him still._

"_What the hell, kid?" the man snapped, but quietly, since there were still guards around. "What's your problem? I'm not your dad, you don't even want me as your dad."_

"_Your aura is nice," he muttered and the man was silent for a while. He could hear the burning of the town. It had started about an hour ago. The soldiers stomped as he held him close._

"_You can…you can see it? My aura?" the man asked. He nodded. "Kid…this is important so I need you to answer me honestly. Have you ever heard of the Trickster?"_

_He nodded._

_The man sighed and quickly stood, holding him in his arms._

"_We're getting out of here now," the man muttered and he started running._

"_But…my mommy," he muttered. "She'll…she's waiting for me."_

"_No, she's not," the man said simply. "I'll explain later. Just stay quiet and stay still." He looked scary now, his face. But his aura was protective. It was nice. He could trust this man._

* * *

><p>Alfred sat upright, gasping for air. He felt like he was choking on it and his hand went to his throat. His head throbbed as he came to. His entire body throbbed. When he looked at his hands, he saw magic surrounding them, gold magic. He jumped slightly and found that the gold magic bounced along his chest as well. His arms. His legs.<p>

"_This was bound to happen,_" the voice said clearly in his hand and he groaned, gripping hard onto his head. It was throbbing and the voice didn't help anything. "_I need you to listen, we need to move now._"

"Holy shit." Alfred felt like he was going to be sick. Severely sick. And that dream…That wasn't him in it…that was someone else. Arthur…? But what did Gilbert have to do with it? He was there, but he looked younger, almost like a teenager… Oh, God, he couldn't do this.

"_Alfred. Now._"

"Shut up," Alfred hissed at the voice in his head while he came to grips with reality. That dream…It felt like a memory but it didn't belong to him. It belonged to…Arthur… "Your name…is it Arthur?"

"_Yes, and I'm growing rather impatient right now_," Arthur sighed. "_Now get up and get to work._"

"How…how are we talking when I'm not touching a wall?" Alfred asked. He was in his usual room, Ivan must have brought him back after…after…

"_You dolt, don't you even remember?_" Arthur snapped. Alfred held onto his aching head as he tried to remember. The wall, the stairs…the golden ball. "_Yes, you touched the golden ball._"

"That was…you, wasn't it?" Alfred asked.

"_Good, you're not a complete idiot_," Arthur sighed. "_I didn't anticipate what would happen, though I could have guessed it. When you touched me, our magic collided. My magic has become my life force, the only think keeping me tied to earth. With the magic inside of you, naturally I would follow._"

"Wait, wait, wait," Alfred said. "How did you get tied to your magic? How are you…in my head? This doesn't make any sense."

"_Naturally, for you, it wouldn't_," Arthur said. "_I need you to understand that your comprehension doesn't matter at this point. We need to move now, before the lord does something everyone will regret._"

"I kinda think my understanding is a little important, here," Alfred said.

"_He will kill us, both of us,_" Arthur said coldly. "_I can't have you die before you do what you are meant to do._"

"And what am I meant to do?" Alfred demanded.

"_I have no clue_," Arthur muttered.

There was a knock at the door and Alfred blinked, looking forward from where he sat. A guard stepped in and he felt Arthur immediately go on edge. Alfred remembered the memory. The guard took a moment to asses if Alfred was truly awake before nodding to him and then to the clothing.

"Lunch is starting in five minutes," the guard said simply. "I've been told you have to be there without question."

"Or delay, I'm guessing?" Alfred smirked. The guard nodded and left without another word.

"_I don't care what that lord wants, and yet you obey him_?" Arthur scoffed.

"He didn't kill us while we were asleep," Alfred muttered and stood up. "I figure there's a reason." His entire body still hurt, but he could live with it now. He had things to do. He nearly forgot about Ivan, the role he was playing in all of this, Nikolas.

"_You intend to waltz up to the person that just might kill you, all because you have feelings for him?_" Arthur scoffed. "_Don't think I couldn't tell the way your body reacted the second you thought about him._ _This is no time to be distracted._"

"I'm not distracted," Alfred rolled his eyes. Still…it was creepy how Arthur could do that. He would really have to get used to another person sharing his head, knowing everything about him. That was just weird…

"_Don't believe a single word Francis said to you_," Arthur said. "_I can see your memories, too, before you ask. He's an idiot, don't listen to him."_ Alfred smirked when he realized Arthur's thoughts faltered when he referenced Francis. "_Don't you dare say anything_."

"Not a word," Alfred smirked, walking up to the clothing. "But we're going. Whatever game he's playing, I'm going to find out what he wants. If he hasn't killed us yet, he won't for a while. That's not how Ivan works."

"_Meanwhile, Nikolas will kill you while you sleep, while you think you can trust him_," Arthur said coldly. "_Just be wary, your true love just might be Nikolas pretending._"

"I've got my magic back," Alfred smirked. He could feel his magic again, the world was no longer dull. "I'll see his aura, I'll be able to tell when it's him."

* * *

><p><strong>Well, the reveal starts, but it's a lot more than you all were expecting, wasn't it? Yes, the first part was a memory, Arthur's memory, and Alfred saw it in a dream. This will happen often. Alfred will be able to basically watch Arthur's life unfold, but we'll only see the important parts. And we saw Gilbert and Arthur's revealed he knows Francis, but we don't know how long ago Arthur's memories took place, keep that all in mind.<strong>

**And review. It's a nice thing to do.**


	19. Game On

Chapter 19. Game On.

Ivan was patient. He knew he had to be. General Winter, however, was not quite as patient. In fact, he frequently wanted to kill both Alfred and whoever was inside of him. Ivan could tell from General Winter's slips that it was a past Trickster that was somehow still alive and his name was Arthur. General Winter referred to him as much worse, usually, but Ivan could discern the man's name easily enough.

And then, one lunch, the doors opened just as Ivan sat down, his sisters already in their places. Alfred was the same as ever, proudly walking over to his seat, fighting slightly against the guards that attempted to guide him. He slumped in his chair and just looked at his food. Ivan was sure that neither of them would touch their food once. Thankfully, Katyusha knew better than to say something to Alfred this time. There was quite a lot of tension in the room. The women ate quickly while Alfred simply tapped his fingers against the table.

Ivan had to wonder if Alfred was in the same boat as him, after all if two personalities merged, it should in theory be the same as Ivan and General Winter's situation. It was obvious the two personalities didn't become one, otherwise Alfred would be acting differently. Katyusha and Natalia finished their meals.

"Sisters, if you would give us some privacy," Ivan said clearly, it was not up for debate and even Natalia knew that. They both left without a word, but Ivan knew they would gossip about it when he was out of ear shot. Alfred laughed slightly and leaned back, seemingly more relaxed than ever. "What, exactly are you doing?"

"What do you mean?" Alfred asked casually. "Am I doing something wrong?"

"In fact, you're obeying our rules," Ivan muttered. He had to be careful, he couldn't allow anymore slip ups around Alfred. He was a lord, he had to act that way. Perhaps if he did, General Winter would supply him with more information. He was sure Alfred knew everything now, after the three days he'd been fast asleep. All of the secrets Ivan wasn't allowed to know. But he obviously didn't know anything about the wall, otherwise he wouldn't be so calm. "What game are you playing?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Alfred shrugged.

"You promised us you would stop your snooping after that game of chess," Ivan sighed, changing the subject slightly to try a different angle at getting information.

"I wasn't snooping," Alfred shrugged. "I knew exactly where I was going. I knew exactly what I would find. I wasn't trying to find information."

"Yes, and you only managed to find a secret hidden for four hundred years," Ivan stated and Alfred's eyes widened slightly in shock.

"Wait…four hundred?" Alfred muttered. "But…that doesn't make sense…they looked like they weren't even…"

"What are you mumbling about?" Ivan sighed impatiently. General Winter was surprisingly quiet and Ivan assessed the two auras in front of him. Alfred's was stronger, but that was to be expected with the chain of Tricksters. However, the aura Arthur held was very skilled and…angry. Ivan could only expect as much, considering how long he was trapped alone.

"Let's play a game," Alfred shrugged. "You obviously want to."

"What is that meant to mean?" Ivan asked carefully.

"You could have killed me, us…both of us any time," Alfred said. "We were defenseless, asleep, and you could have killed us or let Nikolas kill us. You want to play a game."

"Or perhaps we are keeping you alive for a different reason," Ivan hummed. "I don't believe you should make a bet again, either, considering how the last game ended."

"Here me out," Alfred smirked. "I'm trying to find information, you're trying to keep it from me, right? That's how this has been going from the start. Obviously. I won't run away. I'll stay right here, both of us can act all normal and shit around everyone else. But I'm going to find all of this out."

"Before you die, am I correct?" Ivan ignored the pang that resounded in his heart at the mention of Alfred's death. Yes, he knew from the beginning, Alfred was 25, he was going to die this year. Most likely by his own hand, but he desperately wanted to avoid that.

"You know what I am," Alfred shrugged. "What I've gotta do."

"This isn't much of a game," Ivan chuckled.

"Saying it's a game puts a little pressure off of my chest," Alfred said simply.

"And what are your rules?" Ivan smirked.

"All or nothing," Alfred said simply. "We both give it our all, but I won't include your sisters or anything. You use your guy from 400 years ago and I'll use mine. I try to find information, you try to stop me. And in the end one of us will win." Alfred flinched obviously as Arthur pointedly said something in his head. Ivan recognized that reaction from his own. He could tell that the auras wavered as this happened. They were disagreeing. "Dammit, how are you so used to this happening?"

"Used to what?" Ivan asked.

"The voice inside your head, unless you're just really fucking good at ignoring it," Alfred grumbled.

"Oh, you can't ignore it," Ivan said simply.

"_Don't play games with these idiots,_" General Winter stated. "_Kill them both now, Ivan_."

"It isn't much of a game, but I'll play," Ivan shrugged. "I won't try to kill you, that is a promise."

"Same goes for me," Alfred laughed slightly. "But I'm not going easy on you, now that I have all of my magic back and even more. Your mages won't be able to hold all of it back again."

"I don't think I would even try," Ivan hummed. "And you will find that I will be less merciful as I have been lately."

"Thank God, I've been drowning in your mercy," Alfred scoffed and Ivan smirked. This would be fun. Alfred was practically volunteering to stay by his side and, as much as General Winter will protest, Ivan had no problems with this as it was. Alfred was in no danger of discovering anything important. Besides, the more he came to understand the situation he was in, the less he would want to look.

* * *

><p>"<em>You want to play chess?<em>" Arthur asked and Alfred nodded resolutely from where he sat in Ivan's library. He was at the chessboard. He was bored, Ivan was busy, and this was the best idea he came up with. "_Considering how well it went last time, I doubt you'll get very far._"

"Just…humor me, okay?" Alfred sighed. "Jeez, don't be such a stick in the mud, Artie."

"_My name is Arthur, you dolt,_" Arthur sighed. "_I will move first, if it makes you so happy._"

"Thanks, dude," Alfred smiled. This would be a good way to unwind. Arthur used his own magic to move a pawn forward and Alfred smirked. Just what he would expect from Arthur. He put up a little wall in his head to keep Arthur from knowing his plans and vice versa. That would make this more fun, anyway. Alfred easily moved another pawn forward.

"_It looks like playing with Ivan gave you good instruction_," Arthur sighed and moved another piece. Another perfect play Alfred was expecting from the man. He moved his own piece and Arthur paused for a moment, surprised at how Alfred was countering. "_Dumb luck._"

"Sure, Artie, that's just what it is," Alfred smirked. This would also be a good chance for them to bond. From what he could tell based on the auras of Ivan and Nikolas, they were extremely in synch and so that put Alfred and Arthur at a disadvantage. Arthur didn't trust him to be able to be smart and handle things on his own. This would prove him wrong, increase trust, get them to bond a little bit. A perfect way to spend a little time.

About fifteen minutes later, Arthur was in complete shock. Alfred still had about half of his pieces and Arthur was left with just a king as of Alfred's last move.

"You're move," Alfred hummed happily.

"_You were bluffing Ivan_," Arthur muttered. "_Why? You could have gotten that information you wanted._"

"Well, now that I've got you, I can get any information I want whenever I want, right?" Alfred smirked as he moved his piece to the last spot. "I also needed him confident and in a false sense of security so I could do what I wanted without him breathing down my neck. Check mate."

"_You're a bloody fool_," Arthur chuckled and Alfred moved the wall down. Arthur was completely stunned by this loss, and he had been so confident before. It made Alfred smile brightly. He could at least surprise some people. "_Play me again. I went easy on you, thinking you were an idiot. This time won't be the same._"

"Sure," Alfred chuckled, putting the wall back up as Arthur rearranged the pieces to their original places with his magic. "You can go first again if you wanna."

"_Please try to use proper English_," Arthur sighed heavily, but he moved his piece again, just where Alfred expected. He countered in a way that he knew Arthur would have to rethink his strategy for the first time.

They went through a couple of moves before the door to the library opened. Alfred's hand faltered on his knight. Ivan was watching now.

"_Don't get all tongue-tied now that he's in the room,_" Arthur groaned. "_It's obnoxious enough that I can see how your body reacts when you just think of him. You may trust him but I don't_."

"What are you doing?" Ivan asked simply as Alfred moved his knight and he silently cursed when he realized he moved it to the wrong place, but it was too late to fix his mistake. Arthur smirked inside of his head, moving his own piece to his advantage.

"Playing chess with myself," Alfred muttered and tried to fix his mistake, but having Ivan watch him made him almost slip up again. He shook his head to regain focus.

"_If you can't focus with him around, you will have many problems in your future_," Arthur stated and Alfred grumbled, this time moving his piece to the right location to properly fix his mistake. He was no longer in danger, but he wasn't in the prime position he should have been in.

"And I thought that you didn't know how to play chess," Ivan chuckled.

"Shit happens," Alfred shrugged and continued the game, Ivan watching silently over his shoulder. Arthur was apprehensive, fully aware of Nikolas' aura right behind him, but he focused on the game. He trusted Alfred enough to at least protect both of them if worse came to worse. Alfred won again. "Check mate."

"So this is how you have decided to play your game you invented," Ivan sighed. "Playing a different game?"

"I've got my reasons," Alfred shrugged, taking down the block. At least, this way, Alfred and Arthur could use their magic together if they needed to. Just in case Nikolas did something. Alfred wouldn't put it past him, considering all of the times that Ivan slipped up with his control over the spirit. "At least I wasn't doing stupid business stuff."

"Yes, a far better way to spend time is by challenging someone in your own mind to play chess," Ivan sighed as Alfred moved all of the pieces back to their original places. Ivan moved over to his favored bookshelf and Alfred stood up.

"I'm glad you think so, too," Alfred said cheekily and Ivan laughed slightly, pulling out a book that Alfred hadn't seen him with before. "So, what now? We just gonna quietly do our time in the library?"

"This is a game, is it not?" Ivan smirked. "I have already made my move, it is no time for you to make your own."

Alfred faltered. What was that supposed to mean? Arthur seemed slightly panicked as well. What had they not noticed? Alfred was on high alert now. He hadn't originally planned for them to take turns, but that did make it a little more interesting.

"Game on," Alfred said simply before turning to the books of magic. Arthur held an interest for them and, though he was distracted by Ivan, he did enjoy glancing through them to see all of the possible spells.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, they've talked again, and now we know for sure that Alfred really can play chess very well, he's just a fantastic bluffer. Anyway, not a lot happened, but at the same time a few things really did happen. I know that sounds complicated, but oh well.<strong>

**In any case, please review! It's kind and all of that fluffy shit.**


	20. Bluff

Chapter 20. Bluff.

"_What on Earth could he have meant when he said he had made his move?_" Arthur muttered, mostly to himself. He wanted to pace, but Alfred felt better just sitting on the bed to think though everything going through his brain at that moment. Arthur asked a lot of questions meant for only himself to hear and so Alfred never responded to those. Arthur yelled at him the last time.

"How about we don't wait around to find it and make our move?" Alfred shrugged.

"_You're the hidden chess genius,_" Arthur grumbled. "_You know you need to think through your opponent's move before you make your own._"

"You think I actually do that?" Alfred laughed. "I react on instinct half the time. My instincts right now tell me that whatever move he's made, we need to move now and not wait for him."

"_And what do you intend on doing?_" Arthur sighed.

"Let's do something neither of them will expect," Alfred smirked. "They think I'm the one in control, right? They'll move to work with me. Then let's let you take control."

"_Me?"_ Arthur asked, a little dumbfounded by the question. "_You want to give up control of your body to me?_"

"Temporarily," Alfred shrugged. "It'll send them down a peg, I'd say. This will be our move. They can do what they want after they discover what we're up to."

"_Are you sure you're prepared for this? I am used to having no control over anything, it may be an odd experience for you to have no control of your body._"

"I'll be fine," Alfred said simply. In reality, he was scared, and he was sure Arthur could tell that. But as long as he said he would be fine, he would be. That was all that mattered. He had to be strong and Arthur had to know that he was strong and ready for this. "Once you're in control, do whatever you want. Find information, scope out the mansion, just don't run away. He won't find anything out if we run. We need to find out what to fix before we do the fixing, right?"

"_I suppose_," Arthur sighed. "_Prepare yourself._"

Alfred nodded and forced himself to relax slightly. He could do this, it was going to be fine. Arthur wouldn't do anything stupid with Alfred's body, after all it was the only body he really had. That was when Alfred felt a strange, pulling sensation at the back of his mind. He didn't fight it, as much as he wanted to. And then he started to feel numb, like he couldn't feel his arms or legs anymore. Not even his head. His eyes opened, but he didn't do it. Arthur was right, this was really weird.

"Interesting," Arthur muttered with Alfred's voice, moving his arms to examine them. He moved oddly and jaggedly, obviously not used to moving a body himself.

"_Dude, this is so weird_," Alfred muttered somehow. He didn't understand how it worked, but he was still talking, it just wasn't coming out of his mouth. It was like he was taking a back seat, unable to move even if he wanted to.

"I could say the same thing," Arthur chuckled slightly. Then he tried to stand up, but that didn't work out well and he fell to the ground. Alfred winced, expecting to feel pain, but he didn't feel anything. It was so weird.

"_Do you need help learning how to walk again_?" Alfred teased and Arthur growled at him.

"I can handle this on my own, thank you," Arthur scoffed. "I remember how to walk."

"_It has been four hundred years_," Alfred tried to smirk, but realized a little sadly that he couldn't. Arthur tried to get up once again, but his legs got mixed up and he fell once again onto Alfred's ass. "_I could give you some advice._"

"I don't need your bloody advice, Alfred," Arthur snapped. He tried and failed once again. "Dammit all…"

"_On the bright side, you know how to speak,_" Alfred offered and Arthur growled at him once again before using the bed as support this time to at least get him onto his feet, albeit a little shakily. "_Great, now try walking, genius._"

"Shut up, you twit," Arthur snapped at him and slowly removed his hands from the bed, making sure he could stand still well enough.

"_I wonder if Nikolas is any better at this_," Alfred hummed.

"Don't you dare compare us," Arthur snapped and Alfred immediately stopped what he was about to say. He had guessed that prodding him like that would work as motivation, but something happened in Arthur's thoughts that made Alfred know that that topic was off limits. He had to wonder what, really, but he wasn't about to say anything.

"_Well, at least we have all night for you to figure this out_," Alfred said simply. "_Looks like you'll need all of that time._"

"Will you let me focus?" Arthur snapped.

"_Why should I? You never shut up to let me focus,_" Alfred laughed.

"You try having no one to talk to for four hundred years and we'll see how long you can stay quiet," Arthur muttered darkly. That was true…Alfred could at least feel the pang Arthur felt, being left alone for four hundred years and then he finally find someone that can hear him, understand what he's saying. Alfred wouldn't want to stop talking, either.

Arthur attempted to step forward and nearly lost his balance. He quickly held tightly onto the bed to keep himself up and cursed under his breath. He was working so hard, desperately trying to figure out how to make this work, and he was too proud to accept help.

"_Remember that my knees bend_," Alfred offered and Arthur muttered something about not needing help, but the advice did help him next time he tried to walk. This time he made it through two steps before face planting onto the ground.

"Dammit, what the hell is on your bloody nose?" Arthur cursed, sitting upright and taking off Alfred's glasses. Both of their visions became blurry and Alfred laughed.

"_I need them to see_," Alfred laughed. "_A scientist came up with the idea of using magic to help amplify a person's sight. Mine's shit, obviously. And I need those because he knew he couldn't just use magic on a person's eye to fix it._"

"You use magic so often in your daily lives," Arthur muttered and Alfred felt a little bit of pride swell inside of the man controlling his body. There was a small smile on his face and Alfred wanted to smile with him. "Do you enjoy using it? Magic?"

"_I love it more than anything_," Alfred said honestly and the smile grew.

"Good," Arthur nodded and placed the glasses back on his face. Oddly, he didn't move, but he just looked up at the ceiling. "Tell me a little bit about this town. Their…daily lives and such."

"_Where to begin…?_" Alfred hummed. Arthur was curious, but also a little nervous. Alfred knew he did something for all of them in the past, obviously since he was the Trickster and something must have happened to have gotten him this way, but Alfred just didn't know yet. And he wasn't about to pry. So, instead, he thought of ways to make Arthur laugh, telling him about fantastic stories about their festivals, the markets where people use magic every day, how they use magic in farming.

By the end of the night, Arthur had gotten the hang of walking.

* * *

><p>"<em>Are you sure your bluff is going to work<em>?" General Winter asked simply as Ivan was hard at work at his desk. He had gotten so far through the night without interruption, but he figured now he wouldn't be able to get anything else done. General Winter demanded his attention.

"I am sure," Ivan nodded slowly. "This will lead them to act. They were apprehensive at first, now if they think we've done something, they will as well."

"_Do you think it's truly wise to allow them to move first?_" General Winter asked.

"Did you have a plan for what to do first?" Ivan raised an eyebrow.

"_Do you question me?_" General Winter scoffed.

"I question your ability in this little game," Ivan sighed, placing his pen down. "This will require patience and tact. I am prepared to wait as long as it takes to win this game. We have the time, do we not? We have all of the time in the world with the wall protecting us."

"_And if they reach the wall?_" General Winter asked. "_If they decide to make their first move looking over the wall? We can't allow anyone to see what is over the wall. News will spread quickly in this stupid town._"

"I say let them find out what is on the other side," Ivan mused. "If Alfred has the former Trickster in his head, the shock delivered to them after they see what's on the other side will be enough to demoralize them. They will not spread the news in fear of causing panic with the rest of the townspeople. I say allow them to look over the wall."

"_How can we trust that your assumptions are correct?_" General Winter scoffed.

"I know Alfred well enough to know that he will not do anything that will cause harm to people," Ivan said simply. "With panic spreading, no one will really be safe in this wall. Once they know what's out there, I suppose there will be riots and fighting and quite a lot of death. Alfred would never allow that to happen, he will not spread that secret."

"_Yes, you are quite fond of Alfred_," General Winter scoffed. "_You will have to kill him. You knew this from the moment you knew what he was. You delayed too much and grew attached, but you will still have to kill him._"

"I am working on finding another way to rid us of the danger of having another Trickster in this town," Ivan said simply. "As a last resort…I will…but only as a last resort."

"_It should have been your first resort,_" General Winter scoffed. "_Do not grow attached. Your only feelings towards him should be hatred._"

"I could be like you and feel fear," Ivan smirked and General Winter growled at him. "I am being careful as you want, we are in no immediate danger as of right now, so stop pestering me, I have work I must attend to."

"_No work should be more important than keeping the Trickster under control as much as possible,_" General Winter muttered.

"So keeping your precious town in order like you've commanded my family for generations is unimportant?" Ivan smirked and leaned back in his chair. "If that is what you want, I will focus all of my attention on the Trickster and allow the town to run itself as it pleases."

"_Keep your priorities in order,_" General Winter clarified, though Ivan could hear the small panic in his voice. "_The Trickster and the town are important, though you must consider which is more important in the moment. I was able to do such a thing even when I was in charge and the wall didn't exist._"

"Yes, and under your watch, the Trickster was not found for 20 years," Ivan smirked. "Even after you knew of his existence. At least I took the Trickster into my custody shortly after I discovered his existence."

"_I curse my luck that I had to have you as the lord of the town when the next Trickster was born here,_" General Winter sighed.

"I curse my luck being the lord of the town as well," Ivan said simply. "We need to learn to live with it. If we want a chance going against the two we need to learn to work together. I am sure that they already get along just fine. We are at a disadvantage."

"_Knowing the last Trickster," _General Winter said, "_he is not going to work well with anyone, especially if they have to share a single body._"

* * *

><p><strong>So, now's the fun part with all of the dramatic irony. While Alfred and Arthur think General Winter and Ivan are getting along better than them and vice versa, no one's really working cohesively at this point. And Ivan thinks Alfred knows more than him and Alfred thinks Ivan knows more than him, it's fantastic and I love it. So much. And now we're going to watch this little game unfold and I'm so excited for what's coming up! You have no idea. The secret of the wall shall be revealed soon, my friends. Soon.<strong>

**Please review!**


	21. Playing Rough

Chapter 21. Playing Rough.

"_What on Earth are you doing?_" Arthur asked and Alfred groaned slightly.

"We're alone in the library," Alfred stated. "I'm going to study and I'd really appreciate it if you were quiet while I did it."

"_And you can be quiet while you do it?_" Arthur scoffed. "_Why was this so important that I give control back to you?_"

"Because I haven't done it in forever," Alfred snapped. "Now shut up for, like, two seconds."

"_How exactly do you study without books?_" Arthur asked and Alfred glared at nothing in particular.

"Just shut up," Alfred sighed and closed his eyes in concentration. Arthur, luckily, felt his concentration and stayed quiet as he drew the magic circle around his feet. Arthur was in awe, at least, and Alfred fought back a smirk. If he thought that was impressive…

Once the circle was done, this one slightly different and more intricate than the others now that he had more magic at his disposal, he started with the runes. He started simple, with three runes he used regularly and knew how they worked together. Arthur was impressed as Alfred moved on to runes he had never tried combining before, tossing away the ones that didn't have a good effect, and storing the other ones in his memory. He found a way to improve his speed spell, he found a spell that could blast people within a certain area.

"_I've never thought to use runes like this_," Arthur mused and Alfred smirked. He could tell by the way Arthur did his magic, just simple spells of course, that he used runes to cast them. Not many people did that nowadays. Not even Alfred used the runes to actually cast his magic. He just remembered how the magic felt with them. It was complicated, but he understood it and it seemed Arthur was understanding it as well.

"Wanna try?" Alfred offered and Arthur faltered slightly before taking control back. Of course, the magic around them faltered slightly, but Arthur kept control over it fairly well. Arthur did exactly as Alfred did, taking runes then combining them for the mere purpose of seeing what they would do. He combined a few Alfred never even thought of combining and they seemed fairly useful, actually. How to make a decoy of himself, how to create the elements out of nothing.

Arthur couldn't hold back a little laugh and Alfred smiled. He was stretching his magic for the first time in hundreds of years. He was having fun for the first time in forever. It was a sight to see and Alfred didn't mind taking a back seat to it. It was a beautiful, dare he say magical, moment and he laughed with Arthur as quite a few of his ideas were ruined.

And then everything was shattered as the door opened. Arthur opened his eyes and the magic around them immediately fell, the circle disappearing into dust. Ivan stood in front of them and Alfred sighed heavily. They hadn't really had Arthur practice being like Alfred so they could trick Ivan.

"_If you wanna switch back just for now, we can_," Alfred said simply and Arthur swiftly turned to face the shelf of magic books, ensuring he didn't even look at Ivan.

"And allow you to have control so you can mess it up with your crush?" Arthur muttered, nearly silent. "I'd rather not."

"_What's that supposed to mean?_" Alfred snapped.

"I mean, I have to physically ignore every thought that pops into your head the moment he enters the room," Arthur whispered hurriedly. "Now is our chance to find information without your clouded thoughts getting in the way."

"_Okay, I'm not in love with him or anything_," Alfred argued. "_I mean, gross, no way in hell, right?_"

"It's like you don't even pay attention to your own body," Arthur scoffed silently. Alfred would have pouted, if he had control of his own body, but he didn't. Arthur simply smirked triumphantly, haphazardly taking a book and pretending to read through it. "Relax, I would think I would know how to copy you after being in your own head for so long. I do know some of your own memories."

"_Yeah, I kinda noticed that_," Alfred grumbled and Arthur rolled his eyes.

"You were just studying," Ivan said and Arthur visibly stiffened. Alfred groaned. This was just going to be a train wreck. "We apologize for interrupting." Alfred noticed something in his voice, the way he spoke. He wasn't really sincere in this apology. He knew they were studying. And he stopped them. Was this Nikolas' doing? Arthur, luckily, stayed silent.

"_He's lying_," Alfred muttered. "_Move over to the couch I always sit on. It's less suspicious than just staring at the bookshelf._"

Arthur silently growled at him, but did as he was told anyway. Luckily, he had gotten a lot of practice in with walking. He still walked like a prick, a habit Alfred assumed he had from his other body, but he could walk without falling on his face, so that was good. He slumped a little too much on the couch, obviously assuming Alfred acted like a hunchback when he sat, flipping through the book some more.

"_I don't slouch that much_," Alfred said pointedly and Arthur rolled his eyes, straightening out just a little bit. "_Ivan's going to notice. He's not an idiot. We can't have them find out yet._" Arthur couldn't exactly respond now without giving anything away, but he gave no intention of giving Alfred control back. Alfred groaned. Generally, in order for them to switch control, they found that they both needed to give permission for the switch to happen. Right now, Arthur was determined to stay in control and Alfred couldn't do anything about it. He just had to act like a conscience or something. And give advice to Arthur on how to properly act like Alfred.

"You are rather quiet today," Ivan noted amusedly and Arthur fought back a scowl. "We have made our second move. You have no restrictions in this manor, no guard will stop you from going anywhere." Arthur froze staring at the book and neither of them read the words on the page. Alfred was in shock as well. Anywhere. "Just ensure you come on time to meals or we will be rather upset."

"I don't need to follow your orders," Arthur said simply and Alfred was thankful that it sounded fairly normal. Anywhere. They could go anywhere. Both of their thoughts went to the wall immediately.

"_We've gotta be patient_," Alfred muttered. "_He has to have something up his sleeve. He's telling us his moves, and we haven't even told him ours. If he knows when we've already made our move, we're in trouble. We have to be careful._" Arthur nodded just barely, not enough for Ivan to see, but enough for Alfred to understand.

"Enjoying a conversation with yourself?" Ivan asked amusedly.

"Better than a conversation with you," Arthur said simply and Alfred nearly laughed. Ivan only seemed slightly taken aback and Alfred took a deep breath. This would be a long conversation, he was sure of it. He just had to hope that Arthur knew what he was doing.

"_Arthur, I've got an idea for our next move,_" Alfred said and tried his best to convey what he wanted to do to Arthur. Immediately, Arthur wasn't sure, Alfred could tell without the man even doing anything. "_Hear me out. It'll distract him and…even if it does distract me, I'll still have you in control. We don't even know if Nikolas can take control of Ivan, we could be in luck if Ivan's distracted. That way we could get to the wall. I know you wanna see what's on the other side just as bad as me._"

"Alfred?" Ivan asked and Alfred cursed when he realized that Ivan had tried to talk to Arthur, but Alfred had distracted him.

Arthur slammed the book shut in acknowledgement of Alfred before turning to glare at Ivan.

* * *

><p>Ivan was bored. Alfred had been no fun in the library, obviously too absorbed in the game to offer any good conversation. General Winter was angry on top of everything, both with Alfred being instructed by the past Trickster and with Ivan giving Alfred nearly complete freedom. Despite both of them discussing this, General Winter was still on edge about giving Alfred the chance to see over the wall, just in case he would tell anyone. Ivan was sure that he wouldn't tell anyone once he saw what was on the other side.<p>

There was a knock at his door and Ivan chose to ignore it. Servants generally simply went on their way if he didn't respond to them after the first knock. He was busy with paperwork, whatever the servants deemed as necessary could be dealt with later. But then there was another knock, this time more rapid and impatient. Ivan raised an eyebrow before carefully standing up.

"Winter?" Ivan asked, wondering if the spirit could see if there was anything beyond the door. The pipe was sitting on the farthest wall from him, as usual when he wasn't forced to touch the damned thing, but he still had a strong connection with it.

"_I believe it's the Trickster, though I can't tell which one_," General Winter said and Ivan was left even more confused by his statement. What did he mean by which one? Naturally, it was only Alfred that could knock at the door. Ivan chose to ignore the spirit for now before swiftly going to the door and opening it just as Alfred attempted to knock once again.

"Is there something you want?" Ivan asked impatiently. He knew he gave Alfred unlimited access to the manor, but he never expected Alfred to come to his room, of all places. Alfred seemed slightly alarmed when he opened the door before Ivan noticed a light red dust his cheeks.

"Uh…yeah," Alfred nodded awkwardly. "I…uh…" Alfred paused for a moment, his hand going to rub at the back of his head. "I never really got the chance to respond to you that night, so I was thinking….uh…you know…"

"You will have to be more specific, Alfred," Ivan sighed. He was busy, he couldn't deal with this game or Alfred's antics right now. But then Alfred locked eyes with Ivan and those thought seemed to just kind of drift. Alfred muttered something, but Ivan didn't hear it the first time, the blood rushing in his ears a little too loud. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"

Alfred looked disheartened for a little bit before he took a deep breath. "I said the night you took my memory, you fucking idiot."

Ivan blinked in surprise. The night he took Alfred's memory…Respond…The…The kiss? Ivan felt his heart falter. Why, though? That kiss had meant nothing, it was the only way to stop General Winter from crushing the man's windpipe.

"_I would not trust this,_" General Winter said, his voice small in the back of Ivan's mind. "_I have a feeling this is a part of the game you are so intent on playing_." But Ivan paid him no mind. Rather, he felt his body react like it never had before, seeing Alfred so flustered in front of him.

"And what would this response be?" Ivan asked, trying his damn hardest to ensure that he didn't sound as flustered as he really was, his thoughts reeling and trying to find ground in anything, but only finding ground on the topic of Alfred. There was a small possibility that he could be responding to Ivan taking his memories himself or even talking about the previous Trickster in Alfred's mind. But there was also still the possibility that this was about the kiss. Ivan had no idea why his body was reacting as much as it was.

Alfred growled slightly under his breath before he moved forward, so fast that he had to be using magic. Ivan couldn't even react before he felt a pair of lips pressed against his own and he stumbled backwards slightly. Yes, this was suspicious and yes, this was out of Alfred's own character to do, but Ivan was distracted. His arms moved without his own consent, and certainly without General Winter's consent, and he pulled Alfred closer. Alfred was obviously hesitant at first and Ivan could tell he was holding back.

But the moment he advanced, however, Alfred reacted, advancing as well. For once, Ivan couldn't hear the clatter of General Winter in his head as Alfred kept a secure hold on Ivan's hair to make sure he didn't go anywhere. Ivan felt intoxicated by the magic overflowing out of Alfred as their bodies tangled together. Oh, this was suspicious as all hell, but Ivan couldn't exactly find himself caring about that.

He smirked into the kiss as he carefully and unnoticeably lead Alfred to his bed and, with the help of magic, he was able to swiftly turn them around and proceed to force Alfred's back onto his bed. Alfred froze for a moment, his eyes open in shock.

"Fucker," Alfred muttered breathlessly and Ivan laughed slightly. A genuine laugh that he only really felt around Alfred. He wasted no time in capturing Alfred's lips again and the Trickster appeared to be unable to find a good place to keep his grip on Ivan as the lord's hands began to rove.

And then Alfred fell limp. Ivan froze for a moment after Alfred fell back onto the bed, his eyes closed in a deep sleep and his limbs fell off of Ivan. Ivan was still panting as he stared with wide eyes at Alfred, desperately trying to understand what had just happened to the man.

"_The work of the other Trickster_," General Winter said and Ivan's stomach dropped, his mind returning to reality. He had made himself a fool, following Alfred's advances only because his body seemed to want it. He swiftly clamored off of Alfred, accidentally stumbling and falling onto his ass on the ground below his bed. "_He forced your Alfred into a deep sleep, no doubt filled with memories of the past. I hope you realize this was their move against you._"

"I realize that," Ivan muttered, glaring at the ground. He was shaking, he could still feel what his body had felt just moments ago. And Alfred still laid on his bed, unconscious. "I will return him to his room."

Without allowing General Winter to respond, Ivan carefully picked Alfred up and walked out of the room. The spirit protested, naturally, as Ivan walked through the halls. There were not many servants around to see, but any that did simply looked the other way. Ivan quickly deposited Alfred onto his bed before darting out of the room as fast as he could. Alfred showed no signs at all that his body recalled the events of minutes before, he was completely unaffected. Ivan cursed himself before returning to his room and slamming the door closed.

He had to think of his own move now.

* * *

><p><strong>Poor Ivan. He gets all hot and bothered only to be completely cock blocked by Arthur. Now, however, he's angry because he feels like Alfred only did this as a move in a game, to distract him. And it worked, but was that really Alfred's only plan? This was a fun chapter to write, one that I've had planned for quite some time, so I'm happy. We get more reveals of the past next chapter so look out for that.<strong>

**And please review!**


	22. Friends

Chapter 22. Friends.

_Arthur glared at the wooden table in front of him, arms crossed roughly over his chest. He didn't look up at the three adults now scolding him. He couldn't. He was too proud to admit that he really was sorry. That he really was scared. Terrified._

"_Arthur, are you even listening?" Francis' voice snapped Arthur out of his thoughts and he glanced up at the three. Francis, Antonio, and Gilbert. They all had such kind, amazing auras and Arthur trusted all three with every fiber in his being. He trusted them to keep him safe, to teach him about magic…to replace his own mother. He was so, terribly sorry for breaking their trust._

"_I…" Arthur bit his lip and glared at the ground. He couldn't admit it, dammit. He fucked up. Very badly._

"_Look, kid," Gilbert sighed. "We know you want to help, but now's not the time."_

"_Then when will be the time?" Arthur snapped, glaring up at him. Gilbert seemed taken aback slightly and all three flinched. Arthur had a bad habit of using his magic without his consent when he was mad and, on more than one occasion, it involved injury. Thankfully, this time it was under control. "They were in trouble! He was falling, he would have died if he fell from that house and then where would that family be?! They're all women, they can't go off and work like him! I was trying to help them!"_

"_We understand that, but-" Antonio tried._

"_But nothing!" Arthur snapped. "Is this what will happen every time I try to help? I have this magic for a reason! If I truly am this Trickster, I am meant to help! I can't do that if I'm not allowed to use my magic!"_

"_You can't help anyone if you are dead," Francis said bluntly and Arthur stared at him in shock. Normally, these three would sugar coat that certain topic and, yet, the one that he admired most out of all three was being the coldest. "Lord Braginski will find you when you use your magic and he will not hesitate to kill you. Is that what you want? To be one of the few Tricksters unable to do anything because you felt like you needed to help before you had to?"_

"_So I'm supposed to sit here and do nothing for another ten years?" Arthur asked coldly. "So I can die then? Is that it? Keep me cooped up and safe so I can die when it's most convenient?"_

"_Arthur," Antonio said delicately. "That's not what this is about. We want you to be the best you can be once you do turn 25."_

"_And then what?" Arthur snapped. "I'll have all of this magic potential and no practice. What will I even do? March up to the lord and demand he stop hunting magic? Some plan you lot have."_

"_You wanna kill yourself?" Gilbert asked. "The door's unlocked. It always is." Arthur looked up at them. God, he was scared. God, he was sorry. He was so sorry. He knew he messed up so bad. But he was the Trickster. He couldn't be weak. Arthur clenched his hands into tight fists in an attempt to get them to stop shaking. He was terrified. He didn't want to be the Trickster anymore. It wasn't like he imagined when his mother told him stories. He wasn't some strong hero, he was a scared kid that was on the verge of death every day of his life since his family was killed._

_And he would do anything to make sure this new family wasn't killed._

"_I'm scared," Arthur muttered, staring down at his lap. He didn't say it very loud, but the little hut was perfectly quiet beforehand. It practically sounded like he shouted it. Arthur felt the tears prick at his eyes, felt the tip of his nose burn as his throat began to constrict. He didn't want to cry, God he didn't want to cry._

"_I know," Francis sighed and Arthur felt the man's arms around him. He couldn't stop himself. He let out a choked sob as the others wrapped him securely in their hold. But he still wasn't safe. None of them were. They would never be. So he cried harder. So hard his throat felt like it was raw, despite his magic healing him. He couldn't think of words to say and thoughts stopped being coherent._

_All he had left to do was cry._

_As much as he wanted._

* * *

><p>Alfred quickly opened his eyes and looked around the room he was in. He nearly forgot how to breathe as he tried to process his thoughts, move everything back to their proper place. That dream…memory…that was Arthur. Weak and vulnerable, nothing like what Alfred had seen him as. The Arthur that was in his head was always strong and confident and sure with his words. But the Arthur in the memory…he was a terrified little kid that missed his parents. That had no idea what he was doing.<p>

"_You shouldn't have seen that_," Arthur muttered.

"It's fine," Alfred shook his head with a soft smile. "I know that was kind of a private thing…but…it's good to know you're not emotionless and all that shit, you know?" Arthur was silent. "In your memory, those three didn't have any magic, how did they get to be immortals?"

"That's entirely my own fault," Arthur admitted darkly. "I wish I could get the chance to apologize to them for it."

"How was that…" Alfred stopped dead in his tracks as he mind finally recovered memories of the night before. A horrible, hot blush spread its way all along his face as he remembered the heat pooling in his stomach as Ivan moved his lips against his, the way his thoughts seemed to stop working…before it all ended abruptly. Alfred sat upright. "Shit! Ivan…"

"_Yes, it seems your distraction worked_," Arthur sighed. "_On both of you. I knew it was a terrible idea. That was why I stopped you, though I didn't expect that memory to resurface…_"

"Do you know what could have happened while we were passed out?" Alfred glanced around the room. It was his room, sure enough, and there was no sign of anything strange. There were no new scars on Alfred's body.

"_You said so yourself, Ivan would never hurt you_," Arthur scoffed. "_He can keep Nikolas at bay for now_."

"Yeah, but for how long?" Alfred muttered, quickly standing upright.

"_I don't think I'll be able to stand being in the same room as you two and being inside of your thoughts,_" Arthur scoffed and Alfred's blush grew a little worse. This could not be happening… "_It appears to be around time for breakfast. I would suggest hurrying along so there are no suspicious thoughts towards you and your own feelings. This move was meant to distract him, let's see how well it worked on him._"

"Fine," Alfred muttered, swiftly getting up and getting dressed in the clothes set out for him before rushing through the halls. Servants were busily working, and Alfred noticed a few of them giggling at him, but he chose to ignore those few. He stopped his hurrying as soon as he reached the door to the dining hall and collected his thoughts. Arthur grew impatient and so he opened the door and entered the room. There was no idle chatter, as usual, and he walked calmly to his seat, choosing to just look straight ahead and not at Ivan. He sat down and focused entirely on his food. He was sure his steel-faced façade would break in two if he even looked at Ivan.

"Did you rest well?" Ivan hummed simply and Alfred clicked his jaw shut, forcing himself not to freeze. Rather, he calmly set his fork down and cleared his throat. He looked up at Ivan and felt his heart flutter and he damned himself.

"_Oh, for God's sake_," Arthur scoffed. Alfred honestly didn't expect the night before to go as it had. And the butterflies in his stomach had come back tenfold. But, honestly, Ivan was stone-faced as ever and seemed hardly affected. Alfred only hoped that his face wasn't portraying any of his feelings like he thought it was.

"Yeah, I did, thanks for asking," Alfred said, so incredibly happy that his voice came out as smooth as it did. "You know, I had the weirdest dream about you, God it was so fucking weird and messed up. Something about a kiss or some shit, I don't remember." And that was when Alfred saw it. The way Ivan's hand clenched a little too tightly onto his fork, the way his aura flickered slightly with rage. Alfred had affected him. Alfred gave a cocky smirk. This was better. And he could ignore the new flutter in his heart that came from knowing that Ivan was just as affected as him. "How was_ your_ sleep, milord?"

"Ivan doesn't need to concern himself with such idle chatter," Natalia spoke coldly and Alfred jumped, nearly forgetting that Ivan's two sisters were there with them. He could see her own menacing aura and Alfred inwardly flinched. He forgot how she would react to Alfred kissing her brother. Alfred laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Yeah, I just figured that the lord could do with some distraction from his usual work," Alfred chimed casually.

"_She is more terrifying than Nikolas_," Arthur noted and Alfred nearly laughed, biting his lip.

"I'm happy to see the two of you getting along better," Katyusha said happily, looking between Alfred and Ivan.

"Yeah, we're _close _friends, huh, buddy?" Alfred smirked and nearly shrank away when he glanced back at Ivan and his steely aura. His face didn't betray anything, so Alfred was the only one in the room with enough magic to tell just how much this was affecting the man.

"Very close," Ivan smiled. "In fact, we would like to have a walk with you after breakfast, if you aren't too busy."

Alfred laughed casually. "Only as long as you're not too busy."

"_Give me control for this walk_," Arthur muttered. "_You can give me advice on what to say, but we need complete focus. This will be his next move._" Alfred nodded subtly and Arthur understood his signal.

"Very good," Ivan smiled and finished the last bite of food. "We are ready when you are, _friend._" Alfred ignored the shiver that went down his spine as he finished eating himself and handed control over to Arthur, who seamlessly stood up at the same time as Ivan. Alfred still hated the feeling of taking the back seat, but he could swallow it for the time being. "Please, follow us."

Arthur followed after Ivan out of the room, Katyusha offering kind words to both of them. As soon as they were out of the room, the smiling façades dropped. Ivan sent a glare his way and Alfred would have shivered if he had control. Arthur was surprisingly good at suppressing his fear for the time being.

"Where are we even going?" Arthur asked and Alfred sighed with relief. He was better than last time. Okay, this was good.

"You will see shortly," Ivan hummed walking past guards and holding his hand up to them, signaling that they shouldn't step in the way of Alfred. They were in a part of the manor neither of them had seen before, but then again, they hadn't exactly explored much. "We hope you won't mind using your magic to assist you."

He opened a door at the end of a hallway and it lead to a balcony, only a few feet away from the wall. Arthur stood still as Ivan disappeared, only to reappear on top of the wall. Arthur stared ahead in shock and Alfred couldn't even think of anything to say himself. Ivan was inviting them onto the wall. Neither of them could so much as think of what to do, but Arthur swiftly collected himself, at least slightly.

He concentrated and used their magic to swiftly teleport them onto the wall, just beside Ivan. Arthur had closed his eyes to cast the spell, but when he opened them, nothing could have prepared the two Tricksters for the landscape that laid before them.

* * *

><p><strong>Dat cliffhanger. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I expected getting to the top of the wall and what happened next to all be in one chapter, but then this sort of happened and I liked where it was going and it ended at the perfect spot for my word count, so it's fine. Anywho…we got another flashback, tension is high between Ivan and Alfred, and we have a big reveal next chapter! Look out for it!<strong>

**Please review!**


	23. Your Fault

Chapter 23. Your Fault.

Alfred could feel Arthur's heartbreak, the way any and all hope left his mind in that moment, how it was replaced completely with rage and Alfred had to hold him back. It took all of his strength to make Arthur stay still in his body, forced to stare ahead at the landscape laid out before them. Alfred understood in that moment why Ivan was so fervent on allowing no one to see over the wall, not even touch it.

In front of them was a completely barren landscape, no color aside from the thick, brown dirt and the gray sky. They had been using magic over the town to keep weather patterns as they were. Alfred didn't know what to say, didn't know what to think. Good God, he could hardly breathe.

"Oddly enough, the top of the wall holds no magic," Ivan said offhandedly and Alfred felt the anger surge through both him and Arthur at the mere sound of his voice. He was keeping this secret from everyone, that there was nothing that his eyes could see in any direction. Not even a tree or a shrub, simply dirt, a barren wasteland. "It's as if the one who made it wanted us to see the outside world."

"Nikolas made this, didn't he?" Arthur growled, just barely audible, but Ivan heard.

"No, there was only one _thing_ in this world that had enough magic to create this," that was Ivan's voice, but those weren't his words. Alfred froze. Ivan had no control and Alfred could feel his own control slipping as it was, Arthur's rage boiling as he desperately tried to find some way to explain what laid before him. "You, the Trickster, forced magic back into this world, but at least you had the sense to create a wall to protect this town from the chaos that followed."

"Chaos?" Arthur scoffed. He was moving his arms on his own, Alfred was losing the control. This wouldn't end well at all, he knew that. He scrambled to keep control of something, anything, maybe even get control of his body back in general. He didn't want to fight, like Arthur obviously did. He could already see the force of the magic gathering around Arthur's hands. This was not good at all.

"There are other power hungry bastards," Ivan's voice said coldly and it would have caused Alfred to shiver if he had any control. Arthur shivered for him. Alfred had only ever seen Nikolas take control when Ivan had nearly killed him, but he never said anything with Ivan's voice. It was hard to grow used to. "And they fought. Thanks to your wall, Trickster, we survived, unable to advance and unable to move."

"Liar," Arthur whispered, mostly to himself. Alfred felt more of his control slipping. Arthur was taking all of it.

"The truth is right in front of you," Ivan's voice chimed and Nikolas made the mistake of taking a step towards them. In a second, Alfred felt himself get shoved farther back into his mind than he had ever been, with nothing but his own thoughts to control.

"Liar!" Arthur shouted, nearly hysteric, and Alfred felt the pure rage course through him. Arthur had given up his life for this. Alfred hadn't seen those memories yet, but they were powerful, at least to Arthur. He died to give magic back to the world and, by some miracle, it seemed to work. But it didn't seem like so much of a miracle. Arthur refused to believe he was at fault. He thrust his hand forward and a dense cluster of magic shot towards Ivan, causing the man to be practically vaulted several yards away.

"_Arthur!_" Alfred snapped, but his voice was so much further away than it usually was. Alfred felt terrified. He had to get through to Arthur somehow, stop this before it got bad. "_Stop this!_" But Arthur couldn't hear him. Not over his own hatred. He didn't see Ivan in front of them, all he could see was Nikolas.

Nikolas stood with a small laugh, dusting himself off as if he wasn't even scratched. Oh, Alfred hoped that Ivan wasn't going to get hurt by this. Alfred could see the magic before Arthur. A crack surged over the wall, closing again shortly after it was made due to the magic of the wall, but the force of it was enough to knock Arthur off of his feet. Nikolas used magic to appear right in front of him in a second and slammed his fist into Arthur's stomach. Alfred winced, but couldn't feel the pain. Arthur, however, coughed up blood from the force, and then Nikolas pushed forward even more with magic. Arthur was sent flying until he landed hard on top of the wall quite a ways away.

"_Arthur, you've gotta stop this_," Alfred pleaded, his voice terribly small in his own head. He cursed when Arthur didn't seem to hear him and stood up. He wasn't used to wielding magic, in fact it seemed like Arthur had hardly used magic in a fight at all. He was inexperienced, had more magic than he knew how to handle, and was very out of his league. Nikolas seemed to grasp his magic perfectly, with almost a cocky air about him that made him look nothing like Ivan, despite having his body.

Arthur attempted to throw a fire spell at the man, who easily caught it and threw it back. Arthur stumbled, unsure of how to do the same, but he was too slow. The ball of fire slammed right into his chest, ripping in burns that Alfred couldn't feel. Arthur screamed.

"_Come on, listen to me! Give me control back!_"

"Just think about all of the poor souls that died because you forced magic into their hands," Nikolas hummed and Arthur's rage grew even more. Despite being on his back at a major disadvantage, he attempted to cast a massive blow of wind to knock Nikolas over, but the man stayed still, using magic to keep his feet planted.

"_Arthur! Dude! Listen to me! You can't win this!_" But Arthur was past listening.

"They killed each other because of you," Nikolas chimed, using Ivan's arm to cast a spell that knocked Arthur back once again. This time, Arthur was able to barely make it to his feet, nearly falling off of the wall. It seemed that what made Arthur the most angry was the fact that it was Nikolas in front of him. Alfred couldn't tell where this hatred came from, but it was incredible. It didn't help that Nikolas was simply egging him on.

"You're a liar," Arthur said, his voice dangerous. He cast a spell with too much power for Nikolas to block, they both knew that. It was fire once again, but the spell was massive enough to practically envelop Ivan's body.

"_Stop!_" Alfred nearly screamed at Arthur, but he wasn't listening. Nikolas screamed in pain for a short while before the fire faded and he used magic to heal himself. Arthur realized he hadn't even thought about that, but before he could even try to heal himself, Nikolas punched him directly in the face, no magic involved, and Arthur toppled to the ground.

"You should think before you challenge me to another fight," Nikolas laughed before kicking Arthur in the stomach with a heavy boot. Then he used magic to fling Arthur across the wall even more. His skin scraped heavily against it and he stood carefully, thoughts of healing abandoned so he could at least attempt to land another hit on him. "You may have more power, but it seems I have more skill."

"This is not my fault," Arthur muttered dangerously, seemingly to himself.

"_Arthur, you've gotta stop before you kill us_," Alfred snapped, but Arthur wasn't listening. He ran forward, only for Nikolas to greet him with a solid punch to his gut before the man used Ivan's hand to punch Arthur in the face once again. Arthur stumbled back and Alfred saw Nikolas use magic to create a completely black sword. Arthur didn't react fast enough as Nikolas laughed, slicing into Alfred's arms and legs. They definitely were not shallow cuts as Arthur shouted and screamed in pain while Alfred could only watch, feeling nothing. "_Arthur! Give me control back!_" Arthur seemed to have heard him that time and he attempted to block the sword with magic, but the sword simply sliced through the palms of his hands.

Nikolas slammed the hilt of the sword onto Arthur's head, forcing him to kneel down in front of him, his hands splayed out. Nikolas smirked as he slammed his heavy boot down on Alfred's right hand. Arthur froze, his breath hitching. It reminded him of another memory Alfred hadn't seen, filling him with fear. The left hand was crushed as well and Alfred winced. It was incredibly hard to use magic without the use of one's hands.

"_Arthur!_" Alfred snapped and he was sure Arthur heard him. "_Please. Give me control. I can stop this._"

"This is all my fault," Arthur muttered to no one in particular and allowed his consciousness to slip, moving him to the back of their shared mind. Alfred was forced to the front and he felt all of the pain around him at once. He shook as he fought back a silent scream. His arms and legs stung like all hell and he felt a dull throbbing coming from his crushed hands. His head drummed in an uncomfortable rhythm and he felt the fatigue that came from the huge spells Arthur had attempted to use against their common enemy.

Alfred was sluggish as he came back to reality and he had forgotten about the sword in Nikolas' hand. That is, until he felt a surging pain that started in his back and wormed its way through his stomach. He saw crimson pour out of his stomach as the sword was removed and Alfred was forced to stay still as he was forced to cough up more crimson. His breaths came rapidly and he looked up as he laid on his side, at Ivan's face under someone else's control. It held a wicked smirk as the man held the sword up again, more than willing to land the final blow.

"Ivan," Alfred croaked and winced at the terrible pain it caused him. He couldn't use any spell to heal himself as his hands were. And he felt himself swimming in and out of consciousness, darkness threatening to take him whole. The man controlling Ivan paused slightly and Alfred saw something flicker in the man's eyes. "Ivan, you're better than this." Alfred offered a smile, feeling the slime of blood coating his teeth. "Come on, let's end this stupid feud. It's not even ours."

The sword disappeared and Ivan blinked, coming back to the reality Alfred struggled to hold onto. Now he understood why Arthur had slipped back as he did. It wasn't because he wanted to. It was because the pain was too much to bear. So this was what Nikolas was willing to do in order to kill them…

"Alfred."

That was the last word Alfred heard before everything just…ended.

* * *

><p>"Alfred!" Ivan all but screamed as he watched the man before him close his eyes. He was deathly pale from the loss of blood from the deep cuts Ivan's own hands had caused. Ivan couldn't see him breathing.<p>

"_Dammit, Ivan_," General Winter growled in the back of his head, threatening to take control again. Ivan could feel the pain of the attacks Alfred…or the former Trickster had sent their way. General Winter was never good with healing magic. He was great with cloaking magic however, making it appear as though they weren't in pain from being slammed into the wall, from being shrouded in horrible flames. "_Allow me to end this, to kill him._"

Ivan didn't speak, afraid that Alfred was already dead. General Winter had used so much magic that Ivan was about ready to drop as well. He carefully placed his hand on Alfred's head, one of the few places without blood seeping from it. And he teleported them back into the manor, where he knew many servants and mages were. All of them gasped and many came forward to help, automatically going to help Ivan first. Some went to fetch more mages.

"Not me," Ivan muttered breathlessly. The teleporting spell was the last his energy had. He was spent. He was dipping in and out of blackness, but he looked at Alfred, who still wasn't breathing, simply spilling more blood onto the ground. "Help him first."

The mages around him nodded at his orders and surrounded Alfred so Ivan couldn't see him. He saw glimpses, Alfred's pale face, the blood pool continuing to grow. A horrible feeling twisted in Ivan's stomach. Then a mage moved. Ivan was able to catch a glimpse at Alfred's stomach, which was able to move up and down with every breath he took.

Ivan allowed himself to slip as well.

* * *

><p><strong>Hard chapter is hard. Arthur's emotions, though they seem like an overreaction, are far from it, more to be explained next chapter, naturally. The two souls without a body fought it out this chapter and it's obvious who's won, sadly for Arthur. Arthur has been trapped in that dungeon for four hundred years, he really hasn't ever needed to fight anything with his magic before, and he isn't used to having more magic than he had before, if you add in Alfred's magic. General Winter, however, despite his hatred for magic, knows how to use it well, is used to his level of magic, and has sure as hell used it to fight people and kill people. Bit of a disadvantage. Alfred and Ivan took a little bit of a backseat here, but they're back center stage next chapter…more or less. You'll see later.<strong>

**And I'm so sorry that this took a while, I'm back in school this week and my friend is having me write and original Case Closed story for his birthday, so I've been working on that, too, and a lot's happening at once. I swear, though, you'll get at least two updates a weekend, I promise!**

**Please review! It's nice!**


	24. Get Away

Chapter 24. Get Away.

Alfred could feel the white hot pain still coursing through him as he slowly moved in and out of consciousness. Every part of him hurt, it felt like. He felt exhausted and hurt and…it was so hard to focus on something for too long.

A voice was trying to talk to him, but it was so far away, so fuzzy. Alfred couldn't grip onto it well enough.

_Arthur ran with a victorious grin spread over his face. He couldn't stop the laugh that danced across his tongue and he weaved expertly through the little forest just beside his town, running right for his home and the three waiting for him. Oh, he couldn't wait to tell them what he'd done! He was so proud of himself! Soldiers were ransacking again, expecting to find the Trickster that had been hidden for 20 years, and he stopped all of them single handedly. None of them saw him before it was lights out for all of them. They collapsed to the ground, knocked out, by a well-placed spell while Arthur concealed himself. It was perfect._

"_There!" A soldier's voice shouted and Arthur's stomach dropped. No. No, no, no, no, no…They couldn't have found him. They couldn't have!_

"_Cut him off!" Came an order. Arthur ran faster._

Alfred tried to get up, but he couldn't. His body wasn't responding to him. He felt so exhausted and hurt that nothing was working for him, not even his mind. He felt like he had to move, though. He had to…He could vaguely remember something…involving a wall? Maybe… He couldn't do it. That voice was still trying to talk to him but Alfred numbly shook his head. He couldn't do it.

_Shit. Arthur ran as fast as his magic would allow without his legs tripping over himself and making him fall flat on his face. He had managed to get faster than the soldiers, but not by far, he didn't lose them. Arthur nearly ran into the wall of his home as he stopped in front of it. He was too close to his house before he found out they were following him. The soldiers could find those three, Arthur had to warn them._

_Arthur gasped for breath as he nearly ripped open the door to that hut and the three looked up from where they lounged on their respective beds, obviously no plans for the day in place yet. They all looked up at him with interest and Arthur didn't even have the time to catch his breath._

"_Run."_

Alfred tried as hard as he could to regain his consciousness. He knew something was important, something at the back of his head. A voice was desperately trying to gain his attention, but Alfred couldn't hear it very well. He couldn't even hear his own buzzing thoughts. He tried to move his finger, but couldn't even do that.

"_What the hell did you do?" Gilbert snapped as he ran beside Arthur. The other two had split off and Gilbert was in place to keep Arthur safe. He couldn't allow Arthur to get hurt, not now._

"_I was helping!" Arthur huffed as they practically vaulted over the trunks of trees. There were more soldiers now, apparently they sent another one to go tell others that they had found the Trickster. None of them seemed to be fooled or distracted by Francis or Antonio._

"_Lot of good that did you," Gilbert scoffed and suddenly pushed Arthur forcefully onto the ground._

Alfred felt himself wheezing as he tried to get up, but his body was hardly reacting properly to him. He knew something was important, it was on the edge of his mind, just barely out of reach. A voice was calling out to him. It was saying his name, but Alfred couldn't tell why. He couldn't figure out what to do now…He couldn't do it.

_Arthur tumbled onto the ground, his hands and knees scraping hard as he tried to keep himself up. He saw the arrow slammed into the tree in front of him as Gilbert scrambled back onto his feet._

"_Get your ass up!" Gilbert snapped and Arthur nodded numbly, quickly trying to obey. But he watched with horror as a soldier all but tackled Gilbert back onto the ground. Gilbert fought back, sure enough, and managed to get back onto his feet in time to block another soldier who tried to get a hold of Arthur. "Run, idiot!" Arthur nodded and tried to run once again, but another soldier hit him, making him sprawl onto the ground._

_Arthur scrambled to get away and got a glance at Gilbert, who was stuck in a firm hold by the soldiers around him, but his still fought as hard as he could to get away. Arthur used a spell to force all of the soldiers around him back a few feet, Gilbert taken with them. Arthur cursed under his breath as he attempted to get up once again._

Alfred opened his eyes, his throat gasping for breath as he shuddered. His body seared with pain, especially his stomach, but there were calm voices around him and calm hands that pushed him back. There was still a voice in his head. Alfred could see the magic glittering above him before he slipped again, even deeper.

_A boot slammed down hard onto his hand and Arthur felt the bones crunch and twist and shatter. He screamed and immediately hid his other hand from the assailants around him. He needed his hands to use magic, he had no idea how to do it without his hands. The soldier's boot, however, did not move from his hand and Arthur felt the tears of pain welling up inside of him. He refused to let them pass._

"_The only requirement was to get him back alive, yeah?" a voice laughed above him and Arthur gritted his teeth. He couldn't hear Gilbert fighting back._

_The boot on his hand twisted and Arthur screamed again, his hand in unbearable pain. He tried to think of some spell to get him out of this, but he didn't know how to fight. He only knew how to run away. Another boot kicked hard into his stomach and Arthur saw crimson spill from his mouth. The boot caught his other hand and stomped on it, again and again and again. Arthur screamed again and again and again._

_They roughly pulled him up by his arms, dislocating his right shoulder in the process and Arthur found that his voice was going. His screams lost volume now. Heavy shackles were placed over his throbbing wrists, clanking about, across his broken and scattered bones trapped inside of his hand. Arthur could hardly stand, he couldn't see over his tears. A boot kicked at his back and forced him to walk. Arthur knew exactly where he was in the forest. They were leading him to the manor._

_Arthur refused to look up, his breathing ragged. Every time he tried to adjust the shackles on his wrists, a soldier pulled onto them, roughly, saying he was moving too slow. He wasn't human to them, Arthur could see that through the blinding pain. They thought of him as something far from human due to Lord Braginski's thoughts. He was at fault for this. For Arthur's 20 years of hardships trying to get away from him._

_And so the Trickster started a plan._

"_Alfred!" _A voice screamed in his head and Alfred's eyes shot open. His wound in his stomach screamed at him as he let out a strangled sort of coughing sound as the pain registered through his body, his hands stinging, his head throbbing. He was still exhausted, he could feel all of the magic available to him going towards his recovery. "_You're awake._"

"Yeah," Alfred's voice croaked and he winced at the pain that shot through his entire body with the one movement of his vocal chords.

"_You weren't waking up_," Arthur muttered. "_I thought you might have died._"

"He gave it his best shot," Alfred muttered and he thought back to the previous events. He had no idea how long he'd been out, recovering. He could tell that unfamiliar magic to him had at least attempted to help him, though they were obviously unskilled in healing. His own magic was fixing their mistakes. "We've gotta get out of here."

"_I couldn't agree more_," Arthur said, his own thoughts ghosting back to the wall and Alfred felt the color leave his face. The wall…there was nothing behide it but a wasteland. The world he always dreamed about seeing was not there. Everyone had apparently killed each other. "_Now's not the time to think on that. Where are we going?_"

"I'd think you'd know the answer to that," Alfred tried to smirk, but it just turned into a lopsided frown. He tried to roll off the bed and onto his feet, but he just scrambled onto the ground. He was alone, thankfully, but that didn't help him much. He tried to clench his hands into fists, but they hardly worked for him, still mostly shattered and only just beginning to heal. He couldn't use his magic. He winced when his finger twitched too much and didn't return to its original place. Alfred felt his eyelids drooping. His body needed him to return to sleep but he couldn't do it. He had to get away. He knew all that he would know and his life was sincerely in danger. He could see that now.

Ivan couldn't control Nikolas.

He shakily made it to his feet and he stumbled to the door.

"_I'll use my magic to help you_," Arthur muttered. "_What's left of it. I'm afraid I used some of my magic as well as yours in that fight_."

"It's fine," Alfred muttered. "Help me move faster."

"_Right_."

Alfred opened the door and his feet and legs got more power than he knew they should have had in that situation. He took off running.

"_I won't last long_," Arthur warned. "_Once my magic runs out, I won't be here anymore. I'm going to stay with you._"

"You better," Alfred muttered breathlessly as he ran. Soldiers followed after him, but Alfred didn't pay them any mind. As long as Nikolas didn't show his face again, he would be fine. He could make it. He ran as fast as he could through the hallways. He had no idea how long Arthur could last, but he could only hope for the best.

By some miracle, he found the front door. The soldiers had obviously been ordered not to hurt him so Alfred was able to weave through them while they tried to stop him without causing him more pain than he was in. It was pitch black outside as he shoved the door open with his shoulder rather than his hands. He tripped down the stairs, but he kept going, his bare feet aching and pinching on the gravel and sticks underfoot. He felt the cover of the forest when branches started to hit his chest, stomach, face, arms. But he still didn't stop. Arthur's magic was still going so he could as well.

His throat burned and Alfred had to do everything he could to ignore the searing pain burning a hole in his stomach. He felt blood start to trickle down his stomach as he thought about it, but he kept running. He couldn't go back. He couldn't die. Not yet.

Then the magic stopped and Alfred stumbled before falling face-down into the ground. He groaned in pain as he tried to get up and failed.

"_Allow me to take a turn_," Arthur offered. "_I'll last a little longer since I'll have felt the pain for less time. We can switch again if we don't make it before I collapse."_

Alfred was more than happy to give control to Arthur. He felt his mind slip back and sighed with relief when the pain washed away. Arthur bit back a scream as he took control, but still made it to his feet, choosing to ignore Alfred's hands for the time being. He ran. He knew exactly where he was, he knew this unchanging forest better than anyone after exploring it in-depth for 20 years.

He gasped and groaned in pain as he continued to run and Alfred could tell both of their consciousnesses were going. The healing magic centered on Alfred's body was taking all of their energy. Arthur was nearly out of his magic as they ran slowly through the forest…then they were forced to turn to a walk, blindly walking through the dark sludge around them.

Alfred switched back to control when Arthur nearly fell to his knees. He walked further, the pain coursing through him again. He could see the little house, but he could see that it was empty. A pit grew in his stomach. Where could they have gone? That didn't matter. He surged forward, walking ever so slowly towards the hut.

He pushed open the familiar door, used to the movement from years of repeating it. He looked into the familiar house, unchanged from the last time he saw it. He moved towards his bed, the only one that looked unused because it had been left empty for 400 years.

And both of them collapsed together onto the bed. It was hard as a rock, but to them it was the softest thing in the world.

* * *

><p>"I expected as much after that spectacle on the wall…but…"<p>

"Look at those injuries."

"Holy shit, no wonder he ran. How the hell could he have actually ran?"

"Wait…Look at how he's resting."

"Yeah, on Artie's bed, figured you'd be pissed."

"Not that. Look at him."

"The aura…"

"Arthur."

"Welcome back."

* * *

><p><strong>Much intense. Very run. Such Trickster. Anyway, lots happened here. The Arthur flashback is not finished, in fact there's a lot more to go for this one section, but we get it in chunks, not to worry. I liked this chapter a lot, because it shows how connected Alfred and Arthur are, showing the real difference with them and the Ivan and General Winter situation. While General Winter is connected to Ivan via a connection with a pipe, Arthur is directly in Alfred's head. Given they have enough resonance, they can basically become one, though they're both too individual for them to actually combine personalities. But you can see how cohesively they've been thinking together, between this chapter and last chapter.<strong>

**Anyway, enough of me fangirling over my own story. Please review! It's very nice!**


	25. Despair

Chapter 25. Despair.

_Arthur laid as still as he could, trying not to writhe in pain. He'd been walked all the way to the manor and shoved into a cell before his feet were crushed just like his hands and he simply laid there on his side, in too much pain to move. He was thinking, he knew he had to find a way out of this. He had to do something before he died. He wasn't about to be the first Trickster to not accomplish anything._

_He heard people walking past him and he didn't bother to look up. Just some other prisoner in the dungeons or something. Nothing for him to be worried about._

"_Arthur?"_

_That voice made Arthur pause in this thinking and he glanced up at the people walking past his cell. Francis and Antonio. Gilbert had been taken in at the same time as Arthur and he had no doubt that those two would join Gilbert, waiting their own execution. Arthur's heart sank as he matched Francis' gaze. He hadn't expected them to get caught as well. This was his fault._

_Arthur didn't say anything, didn't trust his voice not to shake, as they passed and he heard a cell door slam closed. Guards stayed poised around the room, all of them keeping a wary eye out for Arthur. No one was allowed to speak, even Francis had gotten hit for just saying one word. They had to find a way out of this._

_The door to the dungeons opened again and this time, Arthur heard the footsteps painfully clearly as they walked with purpose right towards him. Arthur felt his heart sink. He didn't look up at the person that stopped in front of his cell. If he did, he knew he would have tried something and just wind up making a fool of himself._

"_So you're the Trickster?" Came an amused laugh from the person in front of him and Arthur bit his lip. Hard. He couldn't talk. He couldn't look up. He couldn't give this man any of what he wanted. He could already taste blood. God, he wanted to hurt that man so bad, kill him…take revenge for his family…but he couldn't. "No wonder it was so easy to catch you."_

"_After you spent 20 years looking," Gilbert scoffed, always one to disobey rules. Arthur's heart sank even more when he heard Gilbert grunt in pain after being hit. Again._

"_I look forward to killing you with my own hands," the man in front of him said, in the happiest voice he could possibly muster. His voice was dark, leaving hardly any room for anything positive. It was a wonder he found a wife so he could continue his bloody family line. "Or maybe I should kill your friends first. Make you watch."_

"_Do what you want to me," Arthur said, thoroughly surprised at how even his voice came out. "Leave them out of it. They don't even hold magic."_

"_But they know about it," the man said and Arthur closed his eyes tightly to prevent himself from looking up. "That's plenty. They're just as much criminals as you are."_

"_You can torture me all you like, don't force them through that," Arthur stated._

"_Torture you?" the man scoffed. "That would mean I allow you to live. That's dangerous. Can't have that. You might use some of that putrid magic of yours. No, I'll kill you swiftly. Those three I can torture afterwards."_

_That was when Arthur looked up at the man and he could see the pitch black aura that surrounded him. Arthur had no idea what had clouded the man's heart so much, but that didn't matter anymore, he was beyond helping and the suffocating aura was enough to tell that. Ghostly white hair, eyes that were as black as his aura, and a military uniform, the one he was rumored to never take off. He was dressed for winter, despite the season being summer, but the man didn't seem to give a damn. Nikolas Braginski. He smirked at Arthur, a triumphant smirk._

"_Maybe as long as your hands stay crushed, I'll allow you to watch the show for a while," the man said nonchalantly. "While you're bleeding out slowly."_

_The man gave orders to the guards to watch over Arthur even closer and Arthur glared at the man as he walked away, back from where he came, no doubt to set up the execution he had planned in his head._

_Arthur moved his first finger on his right hand and bit down hard onto his lip once more. It was difficult, but he got it to move. And he could see the magic that came from it through the spell he wanted to make. Arthur smirked slightly, already feeling his hands and feet beginning to heal._

* * *

><p>Alfred slowly opened his eyes. His body ached, but it was a dull ache, one he got from sleeping too long, not from…all of his injuries. He took note of what was around him. He was actually in the little hut lived in by Gilbert, Antonio, and Francis, so that was a plus. Those three were currently at the main table, talking quietly about something Alfred didn't pay attention to. There was a blanket thrown over him with care and he was warm. He actually felt kinda safe. At home…Granted, he knew a lot of the feelings he was getting were coming from Arthur, who was staying silent due to the fact that the other half of his brain was feeling guilt. Only guilt.<p>

It was his fault that the outside was like that, he should have tried harder, he should have stayed longer. He could have come up with a better plan. He only blamed himself for what happened and Alfred didn't trust himself enough to say anything. He felt the guilt washing through him in massive waves and he couldn't even think of encouraging things to say to Arthur. Nothing positive could come to mind on that matter.

"Maybe we should try waking him again," Francis muttered and gained both of the Tricksters' attentions. "This is the third day he's been asleep."

"I'm awake," Alfred muttered in a small voice and the three were quiet. "Don't be so surprised."

"Alfred," Antonio said carefully and Alfred noticed that he'd gotten up to stand at the foot of the bed. "Come on, you have to get your strength back after what happened." Alfred felt a pang in his heart and he didn't do if it came from him or Arthur. Maybe it as both of them. "Let's eat. You can explain everything later."

"I don't think I can eat," Alfred said numbly.

"Sure you can," Antonio offered a smile and took hold of Alfred's hand, pulling him up. Alfred flinched out of reflex, but found that his hand didn't even so much as sting anymore. As he sat up, he came face to face with those three. They all looked like they were so full of hope, most likely because Arthur was there now, with them. Alfred knew they could see both of their auras and they should have damn well recognized Arhtur's. After so long. But Arthur was in no mood to come out and talk to them. He hadn't even said anything, he was still in shock. Now that they were safe from danger, he was free to mourn everything.

"It's all my fault, I'm so sorry." The words spilled out of Alfred's mouth and he had no idea whether or not they belonged to him or Arthur. It didn't matter, really. The tears springing to Alfred's eyes were Arthur's and the horrible feeling pooling in Alfred's gut was his own. He was just a horrible mash of himself and Arthur at this point. He looked down, not wanting to cry in front of those three, of all people. "I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry for, kid," Gilbert said, gently. Alfred winced. He even got pity from Gilbert now, too.

"No, it's my fault," Alfred and Arthur spoke together. "I never should have…"

"Arthur," Francis said and Arthur sunk very, very far back in Alfred's head. "Whatever you saw or did on top of that wall, it doesn't matter." There was a flicker of anger in Arthur that brought him back forward, taking control of Alfred's mouth, though Alfred didn't mind. He had no idea what to say.

"It's my fault!" Arthur shouted clearly. "I was the idiot that decided to bring back magic. I was stupid for thinking it would work."

"What did you see?" Antonio asked curiously and Alfred furiously shook his head. Arthur agreed.

"You don't want to know," Alfred muttered. "No one does."

"Don't be an idiot," Gilbert scoffed and Alfred winced again. "Bad news is better than no news, which is what we've been getting for the past four hundred years."

"It was nothing," Alfred said breathlessly, refusing to look up at all.

"It is more than nothing, it is important," Francis urged.

"No, it was nothing!" Alfred shouted, balling his hands into tight fists, his nails biting into the palms of his hands. Arthur was shouting with him and Alfred had no idea when they got so in synch that they shared each other's thoughts, but it scared him slightly. "It was nothing! No trees, no people, no hope…No magic…There was _nothing_ beyond that wall."

"Do you wanna know why it took so long for us to find the next Trickster?" Gilbert asked and Alfred didn't look up. "Once a Trickster's life force is gone, another one is born, that same instant. Somewhere in this world. The reason it took four hundred years for us to get Alfred here is because there is more than just nothing out there. There are people who are living, who needed a Trickster and were thankful for him. You just couldn't see them. Without what you did, Arthur, four hundred years wouldn't have gone by like that. It wasn't nothing."

"I can't do it," Alfred whispered, shaking his head. "I can't…I…" He never knew before Arthur's memories that the Trickster was so important. That, when they did what they were supposed to do, they were supposed to die. Arthur was the one exception. They were supposed to do something big and important for the world. But what if it backfired? What if bringing magic to the world just created chaos? What would Alfred even do? He would just mess it up even more. "I don't want this."

"You hardly have a choice," Francis said.

"I want one!" Alfred snapped. This time Arthur was staying silent. Apparently Gilbert's words worked on him, but not Alfred. "I want a goddamn choice for once! I don't want to die! I don't want to change anything! I don't want to be in love with Ivan! I just _want_ to go back to my brother and live my fucking life! I want a fucking choice…"

"You…love him?" Francis faltered slightly.

"Stop getting so hung up on that," Alfred snapped, finally looking up at the three, who looked so lost and helpless that Alfred knew he couldn't possibly get any good advice. But he was going to stay right there, where he felt safe. And he wasn't about to leave and get himself caught again. He knew neither he or Arthur could handle that. "It fucking happened, I know it's not gonna do anything. It's bullshit and I know it. It's not my fault, okay? Just go past it."

"Well," Antonio offered a smile that Alfred couldn't return. He wasn't even sure if his lips remembered how to smile. "It looks like you've been through a lot. Take as long as you need to cool off. We're right here and we won't be going anywhere."

"I can't do this," Alfred muttered to himself as Antonio returned to the table and the hut remained quiet. Alfred couldn't be like Arthur, giving up everything, prepared to give his life for what he believed in. Alfred didn't even know what he, himself needed to do as a Trickster. What was the point? He was supposed to be a man with a mission, a man who could change something. But what was there to change other than something he couldn't change?

* * *

><p><strong>So, one thing I would like to say really quick; I looked up pictures of General Winter to get a good grip of how he actually looks, right? And I don't know how or why, but someone drew him in a pose where he looks like a magical girl, not lying. I was dying for a while, but I had to be serious for the sake of Arthur's story. But he was winking at me the whole time.<strong>

**Anyway, serious chapter is serious. What was over the wall was a major blow to both of them and the despair is bringing them closer in their minds, which is dangerous if they want to stay separate people. Next chapter, we'll get a little Ivan back, I know we've missed him. On the bright side, the Trio are back, though they're not very well equipped to deal with this situation…**

**Anywho, please review! It's super nice!**


	26. Fantasy

Chapter 26. Fantasy.

Ivan had never felt so alone in his life. Yes, there were servants around every corner, his sisters, especially Natalia, were more than happy to accompany him, and General Winter stayed planted in the back of his head…but he felt alone. The day he discovered Alfred was gone, he sent no one after him, despite General Winter's clear rage with the fact that he wasn't dead. Ivan allowed him to run because he was terrified. Of what General Winter might do to him again and of what Ivan himself might do. He had allowed his anger over something so small cloud all of his judgment. And now Alfred was gone. Quite still possibly badly injured and gone.

Ivan heavily leaned over his desk as he attempted to work, but found that no matter how hard he tried, his focus was only on Alfred. Where he was, if he was safe, if he was _alive_. Judging by General Winter's reaction still being anger, Ivan could guess that he was still alive, but he couldn't know. Not until the Trickster played his next move, most likely his last move. Ivan had no idea what to expect, honestly. Alfred had ran after seeing the wall and it was now up to him if he shared the information with anyone, whether he wanted to. Whether he played to the past Trickster's whims as well as Ivan was playing to General Winter's.

"_You should have soldiers searching for him, at the very least_," General Winter imputed his opinion, as usual.

"I should," Ivan agreed and said nothing else to the spirit, who was obviously frustrated, though thankfully the pipe was on the other side of the room.

"_You should never allow your emotions to control you this much_," General Winter scoffed and Ivan couldn't stop a short, barking laugh that escaped his throat.

"Yes, you are absolutely right," Ivan glanced back at the pipe. "And now you should follow your own advice. It's your emotions I'm the most worried about. You are exactly why I will not bring the Trickster back here."

"_Or is it your own weakness and inability to 'control' me, as you so fondly put it_," General Winter said.

"You know full well it was not my intention to attack Alfred on the wall," Ivan stated.

"_You should have noticed sooner that it was not Alfred on the wall with you_," General Winter said. "_And you should have known better than to fall for Alfred's tricks to stop the attack. We could have killed him._"

"_You_ could have killed him, Winter," Ivan said clearly. "We are not the cohesive team you seem to think we are. I do not wish to kill him."

"_Yes, you are so fond of the Trickster that has been using your own emotions against you_," General Winter stated and Ivan closed his hands into tight grips, fighting very hard not to slam them into the table in front of him.

"So what if I am?" Ivan asked coldly.

"_If you weren't, you would have killed him with more ease_," General Winter said simply. It was as if he held no conscience on this matter, that killing was first nature to him, like it was the most obvious thing to do with anyone.

"No," Ivan shook his head. "I am not like you. I cannot look into the eyes of a stranger and decide to kill him. I have never been like that, perhaps my father had been but-"

"_Your father was weak_," General Winter said coldly. "_Though he was stronger than you_. _Every relative before you has been stronger than you, even starting with my own son. But they all have grown weaker and weaker_."

"I am happy I was not alive during your reign," Ivan muttered and General Winter continued.

_"I will not leave your mind, Ivan, not until your successor takes your throne, though that doesn't appear likely due to your current romantic interests._"

"I think that is a good thing," Ivan stated. "There will not be another lord that will be forced to suffer with you inside of their head, threatening to control their body."

"_You will not end your family line_," General Winter laughed, a relaxed laugh that immediately told Ivan that General Winter was absolutely certain about this. "_Nothing can end your family line. It will continue as long as that wall stays._"

"Then perhaps I should assist Alfred and bring the wall down," Ivan said. "I see no problem in ending this reign."

"_You hardly have the strength to take down the wall, even with the Trickster's help_," General Winter laughed once again and Ivan gritted his teeth. There was no such thing as a plan he could keep secret from General Winter, who knew his thoughts and understood everything he did. He had to rely on Alfred, if he did want anything to change. Though judging by the look he saw on Alfred's face when he saw what was over the wall, he doubted much would get done any time soon.

So in the meantime, Ivan was stuck feeling alone, surrounded by everyone but the person he wanted to see the most.

* * *

><p>Alfred leaned heavily on the table, absently picking at the cooked rabbit in front of him with a feeble fork. Definitely not what he got at the manor, but it wasn't bad. He just wasn't hungry. Even while his stomach churned and complained to him, he wasn't hungry. He wasn't tired, despite the bags under his eyes and his obvious need for sleep. He just felt…empty…unsure. Arthur certainly wasn't helping, still smarting over the fact of what laid over the wall…<p>

Francis, Gilbert, and Antonio tried to help them, tried to engage both of them in conversation or help them eat or sleep, but nothing was working. Most of what came out of Alfred's mouth was an apology, either from Arthur or Alfred or sometimes both of them. That was most of their conversations and it wasn't much at all.

Alfred picked at his food, not paying attention to the conversation occurring just on the other side of the small table. There was really no point in following a conversation he wouldn't be a part of. Alfred barely blinked when Francis stood up, still not hearing the words the three were speaking. He just hoped they weren't trying to talk to him again. He might feel bad for not communicating back.

Alfred was startled slightly when a hand gripped onto his shirt and he didn't react as he was forced to stand. Then all of his thoughts and emotions froze when a pair of unfamiliar lips met with his. Alfred's brain felt like it stopped working as he saw Francis' face in front of him and so Arthur took over, not even hesitating as the palm of his hand slammed as hard as Alfred's strength could muster against Francis' cheek.

"What the hell, Francis?" Arthur practically screamed at the man as he tumbled to the ground. Gilbert and Antonio were laughing and Francis sent them a half-hearted glare, a small smile on his face as he rubbed his cheek.

"Damn, my bet was on Alfred reacting first and punching him in the gut," Gilbert cackled from where he sat.

"I doubt that would have hurt any less," Francis groaned in pain as Arthur looked between the three of them.

"Explain yourselves," Arthur demanded as Alfred's mind reeled. Odd…he had never expected to taste any other lips on his own except for Ivan's…He felt…weird…like he was betraying Ivan or something with someone else kissing him. He wanted, more than anything to use his arm to wipe his lips clean and Arthur was more than happy to comply with that.

"I see it is still Arthur we have the pleasure of speaking to," Francis smirked and made no move to stand quiet yet. "Both of you have been practically nonresponsive since you came back."

"So we made up a plan to get you to react to something, at least come back to reality for a bit," Antonio shrugged. "I think it worked. Though my bet was on you kneeing him in the balls."

"You're all idiots," Arthur muttered, shaking his head slightly. At the very least, Alfred noticed, they had attracted their attention for a short while. But both of their attention turned back to the wall.

"No, no, no, no, no," Francis scrambled to his feet when he noticed them spacing out once again. Arthur slunk to the back of Alfred's mind, knowing full well that he would be too distracted after that kiss to function properly and so Alfred was back in control, at least for now. "Don't go back to thinking about that damn wall."

"What else is there to think about?" Alfred asked. "I mean, what's on the other side is obviously what I'm supposed to fix and I can't fix that."

"There's Alfred," Gilbert smirked. "Listen, kid. Arthur was able to bring magic back to the fucking _world_. You can handle anything, especially if you're even stronger than he was."

"I'm not Arthur…" Alfred muttered. "I'm not like him." The memories that swirled in his head that he knew didn't belong to him made him mostly feel awe. Arthur was strong enough to face the death of his family and capture of his only friends with more strength than Alfred could have. He faced Nikolas head on while Alfred ran away scared.

"You're still a Trickster," Francis said carefully. "And I do apologize for my actions, considering your apparently undying love for Ivan, which I fail to understand…"

"It's fine….you were trying to get our attention," Alfred sighed heavily. "I may be a Trickster, but that doesn't mean I'm anything like the past ones, whatever they've been doing for the past 400 years. Obviously they couldn't do what you want me to do. They were all stronger than Arthur, too."

"And you're stronger than them," Antonio chimed.

"I know it's hard," Gilbert said. "But it's what the Trickster's gotta do. The shit we can't do on our own."

"I'm not some kind of fantasized hero," Alfred muttered.

Arthur paused slightly in the back of his mind, as if he was thinking and he hid his thoughts from Alfred, like he was trying to think of a plan. Alfred could vaguely tell that he was thinking about his past, maybe part of it Alfred couldn't see. So far from what he'd seen, being a Trickster was a job that no one could handle, that was too hard for a normal person to deal with. Alfred wasn't exactly that far beyond normal, he just had a larger amount of magic than everyone else.

"Why can't you be?" Gilbert asked and Alfred brought his attention back to the present, with the three immortals standing in front of him. Arthur always felt a pang of guilt every time he looked them in the eye, feeling as though it was his fault for what happened to them and why they were still forced to live with him.

Alfred shut his eyes tightly, letting out a long breath.

"I'm not that strong," he decided on saying that. He wasn't as strong as Arthur, that was the basics of it. While Arthur fought with practically all of his strength on that wall, Alfred ran away scared. Arthur offered to take over while they were both in the most pain of their lives while Alfred retreated where he couldn't feel it. Arthur was starting to come to his senses while Alfred still focused on that wall.

"_Alfred_," Arthur said clearly and Alfred turned his attention to him, despite the Trio attempting to talk to him. "_I need you to see something_."

Alfred felt his legs fail him first. Before he plunged into darkness. Into a memory.

* * *

><p><strong>Cliffhanger again! Aren't I just the best? I know you all love me, don't lie. And I'm so sorry, for the delay. Honestly, I had a four day weekend off of school and what do I do with my free time? I watch Markiplier and Hetalia and I don't write. I'm so sorry, y'all. Anyway, here's the second chapter you were owed this weekend and didn't get. Hopefully next weekend will work out a little better, but who knows? Anywho, we got a glimpse at Ivan, who's kind of stuck at the moment, but it seems Alfred and Arthur are slowly worming their way out of their slump. And perhaps this memory will change Alfred's mind. Some pretty heavy stuff was said, man. I have a lot of respect for Arthur, too, I mean considering all of it. Anywho…I think that's all I have to say about this matter.<strong>

**So please review!**


	27. Fear

Chapter 27. Fear.

"Find him."

Those were the only orders given to all of his soldiers. Granted, Ivan couldn't tell if it was by his own whim or by General Winter's. General Winter wanted him found to kill him, this time with no holding back and no interruptions. Ivan just wanted to find him. Ensure that he was still alive and still able to kick and scream while he was taken. Ivan fought hard to keep control of his own body. There were times when he was with the soldiers searching or giving orders when he could sense General Winter trying to take over control, but then there were others. When Ivan could only tell that General Winter was taking control when it was almost too late. Ivan was almost scared that, if he lost control again, General Winter would keep it. Ivan wanted to keep that from happening, at all costs.

"Keep a block around this area," Ivan suggested, overlooking a map as he talked to a soldier. They knew where Alfred used to live, but Ivan knew that the person living there now, though he might look like Alfred, definitely wasn't him. Ivan could tell without even having to look at the man, just hearing of him was enough to tell him that Alfred wasn't anywhere near there. But keeping a block around his house might prove to be fruitful. "Don't let anyone in or out until the mages make sure it isn't him."

The soldier nodded and left and Ivan let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through his hair. He had soldiers that always dreamed about being heroes or going into action and the most they got was stopping small peasant protests. Now they had a job, though it didn't seem as exciting to them as it truly was. They just thought Ivan was oddly interesting in this man, but it gave them an excuse to stretch their muscles a little bit, especially if they found him. They just didn't know how important it was to make sure they found him before he did anything dangerous. Something that might end with his death.

"_His death may not be a bad outcome_," General Winter stated simply.

Ivan didn't even grace General Winter with a reply, he hadn't for the past day. He had to make sure he stayed focused on getting Alfred back, then he could focus on what he was going to do, whether that be making sure the man stayed alive or…deciding what to do about General Winter. Whatever happened, though, Ivan would ensure that Alfred was not killed by his own hands.

Ivan walked forward through the town, all of the doors locked tight and the windows closed as best as they could while the soldiers practically turned everything upside down to find Alfred. Ivan dug his hands into the pockets of his thick coat as he looked at the forest nearby. Not many soldiers went into the forest, as they all assumed that Alfred couldn't last very long, considering the lack of actual people living there.

But Ivan stared at it in interest. Considering the lack of any evidence of Alfred being found anywhere in the town, perhaps they should center their search into the forest. As Ivan thought, more soldiers came up to him, apparently intent on talking to him about some clue a shop owner had given them about Alfred's location.

* * *

><p><em>Arthur made sure he lied still, as still as possible. He had to make sure he didn't move, didn't give away the fact that his hands and feet were now fully healed, that he was able to use magic to already weaken the chains holding him still. He just had to wait for the right moment to get out and proceed with his plan. Just thinking of the plan made him nearly want to puke and run away as fast as he could at that moment. But he forced himself to stay still, he had to go through with his plan, even if it cost him his life.<em>

_Arthur kept his eyes closed as soldiers talked amongst themselves about his death and the death of his friends. He was terrified. God, he didn't want to do this, but he knew he had to. Even if he could run away on his own, Gilbert, Francis, and Antonio would never be able to. He had to stay for them, make sure they could live, even while Arthur couldn't. He fought not to jerk when he heard the door opened. He tried not to shake when he heard those damn self-important footsteps walking towards him. The footsteps stopped right in front of him and Arthur took a few deep breaths to center himself and control his panic that was coursing through him. He kept thinking that he wasn't strong enough for something like this, but then he would simply take a deep breath and tell himself that he needed to be strong enough for this. Even if he wasn't, he had to be._

_His door creaked open and there were fairly quiet orders carried out. Before then, Francis, Antonio, and Gilbert had at least been talking to each other in hushed tones, now, they were deathly quiet. Two soldiers yanked Arthur to his feet and he, at least for the moment, pretended that it hurt like hell, even letting out small noises to show weakness. He glared in front of him to see Lord Braginski standing before him, looking proud of what he had accomplished._

"_You don't know very much about magic, do you?" Arthur asked into the quiet room and it stayed quiet afterwards, the guards holding him still on his feet. Lord Braginski seemed startled at first, but then narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Arthur smirked and swiftly moved his hands apart, in the process using a spell that completely snapped the restraints holding him still, including the ones on his ankles. He then moved his hands forward to blow a massive gust of wind at the people surrounding him, knocking them all back, but not unconscious. He heard the Trio cheer, but he couldn't focus on that now. "Come on, then," Arthur smirked at the Lord, who growled at him, and Arthur took off running as fast as he possibly could, using magic to help him around the curves, up the stairs, through the closed and locked doorways._

_He ran past other soldiers and guards at breakneck pace, and they all chased after him, knowing exactly who he was. It nearly sounded like thunder was following Arthur as he ran, but he kept going. He knew where he had to go, the dining hall, that was the place with the most space for him. But he didn't exactly know completely where he was going, which was a very bad thing. The path he was on was blocked by soldiers and Arthur cursed, turning sharply down a different corridor, which turned out to have stairs leading downwards. Arthur bit his lip as he nearly fell multiple times running down the stairs. He slammed the door at the end of the stairs open and stopped in the center of the closed room. Arthur cursed again. He had trapped himself. He had to go through with his plan right there._

_He turned around sharply when he heard the soldiers following after him. He stood his ground in the center of the room, keeping a barrier around him to protect him until he went through with his plan. He swallowed thickly as he saw a man of importance waltzing through the wall of soldiers and they parted for him until he stood in front of Arthur. Lord Braginski standing proudly in front of his little army meant specifically for Arthur. Arthur didn't even move from where he stood, at the center of the room._

"_You don't know much about this castle, do you?" Lord Braginski mocked him and Arthur gritted his teeth._

"_You seem to think this is not my plan," Arthur said simply, forcing his voice to stay even. He couldn't afford to stray from his plan. He had to keep focused, keep centered. He started gathering energy, but no one in the room could see or feel it, it was all magic._

"_Your plan was to trap yourself for execution?" Lord Braginski laughed mockingly and Arthur made sure he didn't wince. That was exactly what he was doing, but he would be damned if he was going alone. He was starting to feel the exertion of collecting all of his magic in the way he was. He was thankful no one could see what he was doing, otherwise he would have been stopped by now. His entire body was practically glowing with the magic no one in this world seemed to know._

"_Not just mine," Arthur smirked and used magic to pull the man forward, towards him, his hand outstretched. Naturally, the lord reacted quickly and pulled out his sword and he slammed it down. Arthur was too focused on collecting his magic to move fast enough. He screamed, not bothering to hold it back, but also not bothering to stop collecting his magic, refusing to look at his hand, that seemed to be holding onto his wrist by a string, which pulled painfully and fell. Arthur managed to pull Lord Braginski close enough, however, and so he used his good to grip hard onto the man's shirt, pulling him even closer. "You're coming with me."_

_Lord Braginski actually allowed for fear to cloud his vision and Arthur smirked in victory before he unleashed his magic, all of it, everything he had. The pain was blinding, deafening, all Arthur could do was scream and Lord Braginski did as well, feeling the magic forced to course through him as well. The soldiers in the room fell, but that was all Arthur could see before his magic covered everything he could see. The pain was overpowering, incredible, too much for him to handle at once, but he couldn't stop it, even when it felt like his very being was being ripped apart. He barely thought to make sure that Francis, Gilbert, and Antonio would live, no matter what happened._

_And then he felt nothing._

_At first, he assumed he was dead, of course he was, he used even more than the magic he possessed, he used his life force as well. However, the world was swimming into view once again. That small room he was cornered in. Arthur knew his breath would have hitched in his panic, but he found that there was no voice to hitch. He felt nothing, he couldn't move, there was nothing to move. He sat in panic for a short while before he could see a small pipe lying at the opening of the room, right past the door and at the foot of the stairs. Arthur could see a familiar pitch black aura and wanted to scream. It stood to reason, if Arthur wasn't quite dead yet, then neither was Lord Braginski. But there was more. He had magic glittering about in his aura._

_Someone came running down the stairs, a boy that Arthur recognized as the heir to the throne in their little town._

"_Father?" the boy asked, looking into the room, but it appeared as though he saw nothing. Arthur could see the barrier around the room that he most likely put up himself. Only someone with even more magic than him could get past that, Arthur could tell, and he didn't have any magic to spare anymore. The boy looked down at the pipe and Arthur wanted to scream at him to not touch it, to leave it be, but he couldn't communicate. It was like there was no sound to Arthur at all anymore. The boy picked up the pipe and practically screamed in the pain that enveloped him and it almost looked as if Lord Braginski's aura completely enveloped him. But the boy remained in control. "What? I don't see anything."_

_He was talking to himself…No, he was talking to the lord. Arthur felt the panic rising through whatever was left of him. Lord Braginski had a way of communicating, Arthur didn't. He feared he never would._

"_There's a wall that suddenly appeared," the boy said, sounding a little scared. "People…people have died touching it, haven't they? They aren't moving." Arthur felt bad for the poor boy. But there was a wall? It most likely had magic if it was resulting in the death of whoever touched it. "And I'm seeing things, father. I don't understand." The boy had magic, that much was obvious. Arthur would have sighed with relief if he could have. At least that part of his plan worked out the way it should have. Magic had made its return in everyone. "Okay." The boy closed the door to the room shut. Arthur came to understand that it was locked with a thick lock after some time. He could feel the wards surrounding him. He was locked up tight._

_No one came._

_Arthur was alone for years and years and years and years. He couldn't do anything, couldn't say anything, couldn't move. He was forced to just _exist_ for hundreds of years, he lost count after some time. But then he felt it, the powerful magic that had entered the manor and Arthur tried, he tried so desperately to communicate. But he couldn't tell if he was heard, no one ever communicated back._

_He was near panic when that door opened and he could see the man in front of him. He was obviously the next Trickster, or at least the last one that was born inside of the wall, whatever that was. Arthur all but screamed for him and the man seemed to be able to hear him and walked forward, but Arthur could see a lord of the manor, and Lord Braginski's aura around him. He stopped the Trickster and Arthur would have cried if he had the tears to shed._

_But then the Trickster started to communicate and Arthur felt a relief he had never felt before. He nearly killed himself giving the magic to the Trickster to help him free him. Yes, he had thought of just using up all of his magic and killing himself before then, but he couldn't help but think that, if he was still alive, something was meant to happen. When the Trickster returned a second time, Arthur was near hysterics, but Alfred was moving painfully slowly. Arthur wanted to scream at him._

_He could see the lords standing at the magic barrier Arthur had created and took pride in the fact that they weren't reaching the Trickster. Finally, finally, the Trickster touched him and Arthur felt a surge before he became enveloped._

_Enveloped in Alfred's memories. The wall that surrounded the town, how no one was allowed near it. The continued reign of the Braginski line, the complete lack of control of the people. And Alfred, how he had no idea what a Trickster was, but had more than enough power to accomplish what one could do. He had met Francis, Antonio, and Gilbert. He had talked to them, discovered that they were immortal, and Arthur felt horror wash through him. He forced those three through the same thing he was forced through…_

_But Alfred laughed through the memories, always with a smile on his face. It was painfully obvious that he held feelings for the current lord of the town, which was dangerous and he knew that himself, which was why he hadn't accepted them. And Arthur smiled when he could see, through every single one of Alfred's memories, that magic was used by everyone, that magic was once again loved by everyone._

* * *

><p><strong>Deep chapter guys, I'm sorry. Jeez, this memory was a lot longer than I thought it was going to be. We got a quick glimpse at Ivan and what he's thinking here, but we also got to know, finally, what Arthur did and how the world got like it is. We also got to know some of Arthur's perspective on his interactions with Alfred before they got to know each other and his life before Alfred. Happy days, right? I'm joking. Anyway, I really loved this chapter, it's been planned out for way too long. Now that we're here, however, that means that there are not many chapters left, fair warning. Maybe, like, five max.<strong>

**Please review!**


	28. Hiding

Chapter 28. Hiding.

Alfred bolted upright from where he was on the bed, gasping for breath. His eyes blindly searched through the darkness, but found nothing. What was he even searching for in the first place? He had no clue, really. His breathing was coming out in shaky puffs of air as he came to grips back with reality, tightly holding onto the blanket that was underneath him.

"_I'm glad you're awake_," Arthur muttered. He was apprehensive. That was the most personal memory of all of them, and the longest. Alfred had no idea how long he was out, but judging by his stomach and lack of food, it couldn't have been for more than a day… But Arthur was more important. He had laid out everything for Alfred. "_You said you weren't as strong as me, but I'm not strong. I never was. I was…terrified._"

Alfred swiftly moved from the bed and bolted out of the door, closing it calmly and noiselessly to ensure the trio didn't wake up. He took a few steps from the little cottage.

"Why'd you do it if you were so scared?" Alfred muttered under his breath, his voice shockingly loud in the quiet around him.

"_Because I had to,_" Arthur sighed. "_I…I was going to die anyway and I didn't want to die by his hands. It was mostly just my own rage that caused me to do what I did. I wasn't strong, I just fell prey to my own emotions. You're stronger than me._"

"No, I'm not," Alfred shook his head. "I keep running scared from Ivan…I…I shut down after what was on that wall, I lost control and you had to take it and…He'll kill us…"

"_Alfred_," Arthur said clearly. "_You are stronger than me. In more ways than one. Physically, yes, and your level of magic is unparalleled and you also have me. I am willing to sacrifice myself one more time for this world. I may be ashamed of what I did, but I don't regret it._"

"What plan could we even have?" Alfred muttered. "I've been keeping track of the days, don't think I haven't. I turn 26 tomorrow. The Trickster's always gonna die at 25, right? No matter what…I…" Alfred couldn't even voice it. The idea was only in the back of his mind at this point, but now he was shaking. Now it was reality. He was going to die that day, if it was the next day, he couldn't tell with the darkness around him.

"_How could I have been so stupid?_" Arthur scoffed. "_I…I've seen your memories, but I never bothered to know your own day of birth? You can't be…Why didn't you say something sooner, dammit?"_

"I'm a coward," Alfred muttered, sitting on the ground and leaning against a tree. "I was too scared to acknowledge it. I've been terrified of it since the day those three told me I would die at 25."

"_Get up_." It wasn't a suggestion.

"Why?" Alfred snapped, still making sure he was quiet.

"_You are not going to be a Trickster that sat by and did nothing_," Arthur stated harshly. "_You deserve moe than that. You are going to stand up and we are going to do something._"

"Like what?" Alfred asked hopelessly.

"_I didn't have a clue what I was doing, either_," Arthur said. "_Now get your ass up and start working._"

Alfred slowly and carefully did as he was told. He was still apprehensive, but he looked around the dark woods, hardly able to see anything.

"What do you propose we do?" Alfred asked bitterly, looking in the direction he knew the wall existed. It almost seemed like he and Arthur got an idea at the same, exact time.

"_I'd say that wall has been a nuisance for a little too long, wouldn't you?_" Arthur proposed.

"And what next?" Alfred asked.

"_We'll figure that out when we get there, now won't we?_" Arthur offered and Alfred laughed before walking up to the wall, feeling the magic before he could see it.

* * *

><p>Alfred yawned heavily as he took the last steps forward he needed to, placing his spell at his feet before stepping away. He'd spent all night going around the wall, all around town, setting up little spells all around it, just a few feet apart. He had finally made it full circle, he could faintly see the little cottage from where he stood and blearily walked back to it. He knew he couldn't rest, but it would be good to get back anyway.<p>

"Alfred!" Gilbert shouted, running out of the house, slamming the door open. Alfred winced and rushed forward the last few steps. Gilbert glanced over to him, his short-lived panic subsiding.

"I knew I forgot about something," Alfred laughed slightly, rubbing at the back of his head. "Sorry about that."

"Don't disappear, fucking idiot," Gilbert snapped, but rolled his eyes and smirked anyway. "You're a little bit back to normal, what the hell happened to ya?"

"Things," Alfred muttered. "I don't really have a lot of time to explain…um…I'm gonna have to leave, though."

"No," Antonio said, poking his head out of the door. Francis appeared as well, looking at him carefully.

"This isn't like…This isn't like all of the other times, okay?" Alfred gave an impatient sigh. After talking all night to Arthur, they had formed a little bit of a plan, but he needed to do more setting up for it. He had to get moving, he couldn't explain himself, that would waste too much time. "We know what we're doing and we're _really_ kinda low on time."

"_Let them worry_," Arthur muttered. "_We don't know how long all of this will take, especially with Ivan out looking for you_."

"I just really have to go," Alfred muttered and he heard the footsteps crunching through the forest first, before the other three. He glanced over and he could see soldiers, who easily recognized him. "Fuck." Alfred didn't even hesitate to run as fast as he could, using his magic to his advantage. Luckily, just as he thought, all of the soldiers followed him. He cursed many times under his breath before he made it to town, narrowly avoiding being spotted by more soldiers. He found one of his trusty magic hiding spots he had laid out a long time ago, a little crack in the wall. Using magic to open it, he slid in and then used magic to close it, catching his breath.

"_That at least made it easier to get away from them,_" Arthur muttered, albeit a little sadly.

"It's fine," Alfred muttered. "I'm sure you'll be able to see them once this is all over."

"You saw him?" Ivan's voice asked from outside and Alfred froze, going further into the painfully tiny compartment he was hiding in. Through the crack, he could clearly see the lord talking to the soldiers that had lost him earlier. Alfred gulped as Ivan glanced around, occasionally nearly making eye contact, which made Alfred's heart move faster. He couldn't get caught, especially not by Ivan. He didn't have the time…He definitely didn't have the time to deal with all he wanted to deal with concerning Ivan. Arthur seemed to take note and took the initiative to take control for just a second to cause a rustling in the woods that sounded like running. This attracted the attention of Ivan and the guards and they carefully followed it.

Alfred sighed with relief and quickly slipped out of his spot before putting on his trusty cloaking spell before carefully continuing on into the town. He made sure to carefully control his breathing as he walked past multiple soldiers and mages. The town tried to bustle as usual, but they were all extremely apprehensive about the soldiers all around them.

The sun was just a little ways above the wall. They didn't have a lot of time.

* * *

><p>Ivan was thinking. He had figured that the rustling in the forest was a decoy, but that also meant that Alfred had to have been nearby somewhere, but where was the question. For now, he had told the soldiers to continue their search through the woods, as they had reported seeing others with the Trickster, and he was sitting in the woods, alone. Or as alone as he could be. He was trying to think.<p>

"_You know, all of you lords didn't always hate me,_" General Winter mused, evidently bored with Ivan's thoughts of sorting out what he figured Alfred might be doing, but he was at a loss.

"Shut up, Winter," Ivan muttered, not wanting to hear General Winter ramble.

"_I used to be called Old Man Winter, affectionately," _General Winter continued anyway. Ivan sighed, abandoning his own thoughts. He knew General Winter wouldn't shut up unless he gave him the attention he wanted. This was just the faster way of getting him back to what he wanted to do. "_You lot used to like the way I ran things, treated people. Then a few of you got it into your heads that I was cruel, like a general. I'm not quite that cold._"

"I agree, you are even colder," Ivan said simply. "Can I continue what I was doing before you interrupted me?"

"_Listen for a few minutes, I'm sure you have plenty_," General Winter said coldly. "_I have been around for as long as the old Trickster with your 'lover'. Even a few years longer. I take the name General Winter in stride due to the fact that I have enough experience in this matter to be a general, of sorts. And if it were not for your persistence in not listening to me and your coldness to my wise decisions of action, we could work together easily._"

"You are not convincing me," Ivan sighed, standing up carefully and glancing around the forest for anything, but he found nothing. Alfred wouldn't just pop out to him, now would he? Ivan had no idea what plan he had, he hadn't even expected the Trickster to have a plan to begin with, but evidently he was on the move now. "I am not searching for Alfred for you, do you understand?"

"_I understand your intent,_" General Winter said easily. "_Just not your motive. You know as well as I do that he will die soon, by your hand or not. Would you prefer that he die in some other, cruel way, or you end it with your own hands?"_

"I will not kill him, Winter," Ivan nearly spat. "You can try to convince me any way you want to with your cruel attempt at kind words, but I will no longer trust you. The only reason I carry you with me is due to the fact that I cannot separate you from me."

"_You never will_," General Winter said and Ivan shook his head before nearly taking a step forward. That was when he noticed something he hadn't noticed before. He nearly hit himself due to his own stupidity. He should have noticed the three around him sooner, especially with their magic. What he noticed next, however, he was too slow to counteract.

It was a spell, cast by all three at the same time. He could clearly see a red, rope-like object, that was completely made of magic, circle his arms so he couldn't move and then it moved to his legs, forcing him to fall over, nearly hitting his back if his reflexes weren't better. The three emerged from their hiding spots around him and one behind him ensured that his wrists were tied tightly behind his back.

The three were extremely familiar to General Winter; a cocky albino, a blonde with a flirtatious air about him, and the one behind Ivan, who was brunette and seemed oddly…unintelligent. General Winter was more than ready to use his own magic to freeze the ropes and enable Ivan's escape, but Ivan made sure that he halted. He figured he would be able to get information from this interaction of some kind. According to General Winter's memories that Ivan got a glimpse of, these three knew the past Trickster and most likely knew Alfred. If they wanted to think that they had Ivan stalled, then so be it.

* * *

><p><strong>I didn't expect that last bit to happen, I really didn't. But I like it. I really like where it's going, I do. I believe there's gonna be about three chapters after this one, maybe, and then I'll be done. Apologies, my dear readers. Anywho…things happened. Alfred hasn't necessarily gone completely back to himself, but he's getting there. More or less. His spirit, along with Arthur's, isn't completely broken yet, especially if they were able to come up with a plan. And, yes, you all should have figured, I mean, Alfred started out this story at 25, so his 26<strong>**th**** birthday would have had to come around some time or another. Luckily, only Alfred and Arthur know that little secret. Anyway, next chapter things get even more heated up, woot woot.**

**So please review! I'll love you forever and ever!**


	29. Stalling

Chapter 29. Stalling.

"That was a lot easier than I thought it'd be," the albino laughed happily and Ivan simply sat still, deciding to bide his time for the time being. There was a chance that they might even be able to tell him where Alfred was, whether that be on purpose or accident.

"I guess this lord just isn't as scary as the last one," the blonde sighed heavily.

"I take that as a compliment," Ivan said simply and the three seemed equally startled that he had spoken in the first place. Ivan nearly smiled that it was so easy to intimidate them. He assumed General Winter's aura helped him in that aspect.

The brunette was the first one to speak after that. "You were talking to no one for a while and it's really similar to what Alfred does with Arthur." So they did know about Alfred, well this was rather lucky, as long as Ivan knew how to play his cards right. "Does that mean you have the same…situation with Nikolas?"

"It's not exactly the same, but it is the same idea," Ivan said simply. He could, at any moment, allow General Winter to use his magic to free him and General Winter was more than ready, but thankfully he was subdued by the idea of finding out more about these three, as well as the Trickster, wherever the man had gone off to.

"And you don't like him?" the blonde asked.

"I would have thought that was obvious," Ivan said simply, a small smile finally forming on his lips. He had to think of some way to get them to give something away. General Winter could get impatient rather quickly.

"And you still work with him?" the blonde asked carefully.

"I don't have a choice," Ivan shrugged as best as he could with the restraints on him as they were. "Alfred does not quite have the choice, either."

"Does it really have to be you?" the albino groaned impatiently and Ivan was rather curious. "I mean, of all people?"

"Shush, Gilbert," the blonde snapped at him while the brunette motioned for him to stop.

"I wasn't gonna give it away," the albino, Gilbert, groaned impatiently. "You guys give me no fucking credit, do you?"

"We've known you for 400 years," the blonde said bluntly. "No, I don't give you any credit."

So they were immortals. The mere thought set General Winter on edge, but it simply made Ivan all the more curious. These were the first Trickster's companions and, despite being captured, they managed to get away and stay hidden for so long. This held Ivan's interest, certainly.

"Do you know where the Trickster is?" Ivan asked casually, causing all three to jump once again. "If you were listening to me, you understand that I have no intention of killing him."

"You may not have the intention," Gilbert scoffed. "But your little mind buddy does, if the wounds he came to us with were any hint to that."

"You have about as much control over Nikolas as Alfred does over Arthur," the brunette chuckled slightly. There was some information on the matter. Ivan always figured that Alfred and Arthur got along well enough to work cohesively, but the way the brunette talked about it, they didn't seem to work quite as a team. Ivan had to choose his next words carefully if he wanted to continue getting information, no matter how small the facts were.

"From what I heard, Alfred was seen earlier with you three," Ivan said. Actually, the only information he received as that Alfred was with three men before he vanished, but he could figure that they were the three standing before him. "I would have assumed you would know where he disappeared off to."

"If we did, would we tell you where he went?" the blonde scoffed. "To us, that is not just Alfred, but also a dear friend from a long time ago that we didn't even know we'd see again. We would never willingly tell you where he is."

"So you don't know," Ivan said simply and the blonde glared at him.

"Of course we know," Gilbert scoffed. "We just won't tell you."

"You would be more nervous if you did know," Ivan said simply. "More afraid of giving it away. You're far too relaxed now to know where he actually is."

They were set on edge, obviously so, but they attempted to play it off as if nothing was wrong.

"So what?" Gilbert asked simply. "No matter what, you don't know where he is."

"Why did you decide to do this?" Ivan asked simply, looking down at the bindings around him, preventing him, at least for the time being, from using magic to get out. He could freely use his hands, yes, but it seemed as though there was a spell around the ropes that disabled him, though somehow not General Winter from using his magic. "I don't believe I'm giving you any information."

"At least stalling you could be helpful," the brunette chimed.

"And who knows what information we could get from you?" the blonde shrugged. "We haven't even started yet."

"You guys do know he can get out any time, right?" Alfred's voice asked and Ivan froze. General Winter, who had been silent for quite some time, groaned in his head. The three also froze to look at the man, who was, apparently, behind Ivan at this point. "Spirits kinda don't need their hands to cast magic. Arthur taught me that one."

"Alfred, what the fuck are you doing here with him around?" Gilbert snapped and Ivan was almost afraid to look back, but his curiosity got the best of him and he glanced back. Alfred seemed relaxed, leaning against a tree with his arms crossed over his chest. Something was…off, though. With the way his auras flickered around him and the magic around him seemed to shine…something was wrong.

"I'm fine, relax," Alfred shrugged. "What the fuck do you guys think you're doing? Isn't kidnapping the lord, like a major offense or something?"

"Well, he hasn't exactly come out of the manor often, I don't think that's ever been a major law," Gilbert shrugged nonchalantly. Alfred rolled his eyes. Ivan narrowed his. Alfred wasn't looking at him. Normally, the boy would at least glance at him. This was definitely odd.

Ivan nodded minutely to General Winter, giving him the okay to start freeing him of the bonds.

"You aren't really answering my question," Alfred said simply. Ivan was curious. Yes, it looked like Alfred and it seemed like Alfred, but it…wasn't quite him. Ivan could tell. "What are you doing?"

"Considering you three have been alive for so long, it is amusing how little you understand," Ivan said simply as the bonds were frozen and he was able to break them easily, standing up and thoroughly surprising everyone except for "Alfred."

"I should have expected you would have gotten it so soon," "Alfred" smirked. "I was looking for you, anyway, I still don't know what those idiots are doing."

"Fucking hell," Gilbert groaned, evidently finally realizing what was going on.

"Dammit, Arthur," the blonde cursed under his breath.

"We were trying to help," the brunette shrugged and "Alfred" rolled his eyes.

"Call off your soldiers," "Alfred" said clearly and Ivan was…surprised, to say the least.

"_What on Earth could he be planning?_" General Winter asked.

"Why?" Ivan asked as he stood and brushed himself off, hoping that General Winter's aura could finally be of some use and keep those three away from him. Ivan looked closer at "Alfred" and noticed that he wasn't quite all there. It was almost like he was…an illusion. But Ivan didn't even know if that was a spell someone could even do.

"You've gotta trust me, alright?" "Alfred" sighed heavily. "And I don't have a lot of time. I can't go around this whole time sneaking around. Call off your soldiers and I'll explain everything later, got it?"

"_Do not trust him_," General Winter warned. Ivan was already skeptical, yes, though considering the fact that this was most likely the other Trickster, Ivan wasn't sure what to expect. He knew Alfred better than he knew this "Arthur" and so he couldn't expect anything.

"What, exactly, are you doing?" Francis asked and Ivan nearly laughed at how calm they were now that they had someone who they suspected was stronger than Ivan around them.

"Don't have the time," "Alfred" hummed. "I'm afraid if you want answers you're going to have to trust me and tell your soldiers to stand down."

"_While he goes off and does what he wants and ruins what already exists? Don't trust him,_" General Winter scoffed.

"I hope you realize that my soldiers were not there to stop you, but to find you," Ivan said simply and "Alfred" bit his lip momentarily.

"I'm afraid I'm not the one your words are aimed at," "Alfred" muttered under his breath. "Will you have them stand down?"

"Yes," Ivan said simply, despite the shock of the other three behind him. "Alfred" seemed pleasantly surprised as well. "Though you can assume it will take some time to accomplish that."

"We've already been sneaking around a lot," "Alfred" smirked and, all of a sudden, he vanished. So he was an illusion.

"If you three are finished stalling me, I have something important that needs to be done," Ivan said simply, walking past the three and returning to town. He stopped the nearest soldier and gave him new orders. Keep a lookout for the Trickster and aid him whenever necessary. Ivan just hoped that he could manage to find the Trickster as well.

* * *

><p>Alfred groaned heavily as he barely managed to climb the last bit to get to the roof of a building. He panted for a short while afterwards but stood and looked forward. He was getting there. He had placed the last protection ward he was sure they needed, now there was just a little bit left to do. The sun was already starting to set behind him as he faced the manor and he let out a deep breath.<p>

"_I'm back_," Arthur said and Alfred nearly jumped.

"Jeez, took you long enough," Alfred laughed, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked ahead. "What the hell were you even doing over there? Aren't you hesitant to use your magic all willy-nilly?"

"_It was necessary_," Arthur sighed. "_Though you shouldn't worry about it. I used your face, knowing that he would be kinder to you._"

"So you did talk to Ivan, huh?" Alfred slumped slightly before he started to move again, running along the rooftop and jumping at just the right moment to land onto the building next to it, rolling to his landing. "I bet he knew it wasn't me."

"_He knew right away_," Arthur chuckled slightly and Alfred chose to ignore the knot that grew in his stomach at his words. "_Still, using your face and voice has its advantages. He's backing down his soldiers so we can move a little easier._"

"Great," Alfred sighed. "Perfect now that I'm mostly done."

"_It will assist you with getting to the manor, won't it?_" Arthur scoffed. "_Honestly, I don't do anything without reason._"

"Right, right, whatever you say," Alfred laughed. He ran again, lunging over the roof and onto another one, which was slightly lower. This tactic would only work to shield his presence for a short while, as there was a big gap between regular houses and the manor. He wasn't exactly hiding from the soldiers anymore, but he still had to hide from Ivan. He couldn't deal with distractions right now.

And…the less he could think about the people he was going to leave behind…the better. That was why Alfred refused to even go near his house, where Matthew most likely was. If he was going to die, he couldn't say goodbye, he'd just want to stay. So, he plowed straight ahead, hopping over buildings and aiming right for the manor. He could do this, he really could.

He placed his cloaking spell on him as he dropped to the ground, the closest he could get to the manor, and he ran quickly. Sadly, he saw that there were soldiers in his way, right at the doors of the manor. He groaned, turning off the spell as soon as he was sure Ivan wasn't nearby, and continued to run, ready to use a spell if he needed to. Surprisingly, though, the soldiers simply moved out of his way, even opening the door for him. Alfred nodded to them and ran right inside.

"Okay, then," Alfred muttered, continuing his run. He stopped all magic use at once now. He had to save what he could for when he cast his…final…spell. Alfred swallowed thickly and Arthur chose to be quiet for the time being, apparently unsure of how to comfort Alfred in this situation. Alfred ran up the nearest stairs he could find, using his limited knowledge of this place to guide him through. He had made sure that the manor had a special protective ward on it earlier in the day, just to make sure that all of the people inside, including Ivan's crazy sister, could be safe, even if the wall was so nearby.

Maids giggled and moved out of the way as he ran by, moving as fast as is feet could carry him. He tried not to think on the after…just focusing on what he would do to cast his spell. He had to focus on the present, or he would slow down and stop. He shook his head roughly to shake all of the thoughts out and away. He had reached the top floor and he dove for the nearest window, looking up to see how far away the roof was.

He grumbled under his breath when he realized he needed to use a teleportation spell to get him there, but he did it anyway, appearing on top of the building in a second. The sun had disappeared over the wall and it was getting dark now. Alfred felt a horrible pit grow in his stomach. He felt himself shaking, but he couldn't allow himself to tremble. Not now with so much at risk.

He looked around, checking on his wards and making sure he had everything placed correctly, nothing forgotten. He checked on the spells he placed around the wall and he nodded. Everything was good, ready for him to go. He could move at any minute. He had a few hours before he turned 26.

"Alfred."

Alfred froze.

That was the word he didn't want to hear. Especially not from that voice.

"Ivan."

* * *

><p><strong>And another cliffhanger! It's because so much is happening and it's all intense. I think you guys are getting what Alfred's going to do. At least some of it. There's a lot of pressure on him, too, especially when you think about the fact that he is going to die, he's already accepted that fact. He just hasn't quite accepted everything that he's going to lose and leave behind and the fact that he really won't be there. Arthur doesn't have very many words of advice, considering his decision was kind of spur of the moment and he wasn't exactly leaving as much as Alfred is, if that makes any sense. There will be kind words of wisdom next chapter, from Arthur and Ivan, but we will have to wait to see that day!<strong>

**Anywho, please review! It's totally awesome and stuff!**


	30. Sacrifice

Chapter 30. Sacrifice.

"What are you doing?" Ivan asked and Alfred carefully sighed, rubbing the back of his head. He didn't have the time for this. Okay, yes, a conversation was fine. But what would happen afterwards, all of the doubts Alfred would have...

"You shouldn't be here," Alfred blurted out, making sure he had his back to the lord. "It's not…safe." God, he sounded lame.

"What are you doing?" Ivan repeated himself, this time seemingly less amused. Alfred flinched. He couldn't exactly force him to go anywhere. When he glanced back, however, he could still see Nikolas' aura and both he and Arthur shied away slightly.

"It's…complicated and I don't have a lot of time, alright?" Alfred sighed heavily, still not looking at the man behind him. "Just…leave."

"Alfred," Ivan sighed, a little warmer this time. He was concerned. Shit. He was concerned. Alfred couldn't deal with this. "What are you doing?"

"I turn 26 tomorrow," Alfred said, twirling around to look at Ivan, who seemed to take a moment to understand before his eyes widened in realization. Alfred took that as his cue to keep going. "I'm gonna die no matter what, right? Even you know that, I'm guessing. So I'm doing something…" Alfred laughed quietly. "Something stupid."

"Alfred," Ivan attempted to grab hold of Alfred's arm, but he moved back to avoid it. He flinched, though. He couldn't do this. Ivan had to leave. He _had_ to.

"_Maybe it's better you do talk to him_," Arthur muttered. "_I almost regret not talking to those three idiots before I left._"

"That was different," Alfred muttered under his breath and Arthur groaned slightly in his head. "Ivan, please you've gotta go or you might get hurt, too. I know what…what happened with Nikolas when he got too close."

"Do you intend to use all of your magic at once?" Ivan asked and Alfred laughed weakly. "Alfred, you can't do that."

"Why?" Alfred shrugged. "So you can kill me? So he can kill me? So something else kills me? No, thanks, I'd rather just do it myself and while doing something the Trickster should do."

"Don't try to act like a hero," Ivan stated.

"I'm not!" Alfred snapped. "Okay? I'm not a hero, I'm…fucking terrified, okay? I don't know what the fuck I'm going to do, if I can even do it, and you being here is making it fucking harder, do you get that? I can't do it while you're here! You make it too fucking hard!"

"What are you saying?" Ivan asked and Alfred was half tempted to kiss him once again to prove his point, but he forced himself to stay still. Kissing him might make him do something even more stupid and then where would he be?

"Just…Please, Ivan. Please, get away, get somewhere safe, inside is fine, I made sure it would be," Alfred said carefully.

"Tell me exactly what you're doing," Ivan stated and Alfred flinched.

"It's…complicated, but I think I know how to…fix…what he…Arthur…did," Alfred muttered. "And I'm tearing down that wall by force, okay? I'm going to make sure we can be a part of the world again, no matter what the world may look like. You can't stop me, so just please get somewhere safe."

"While you kill yourself?" Ivan asked bluntly and Alfred felt like air refused to enter his lungs.

"Yes," Alfred said in a small voice.

"No," Ivan said clearly and Alfred flinched.

"You're making it so fucking hard!" Alfred snapped, gripping tightly onto his hair and nearly pulling it out. What would it matter if he did? He'd just be dying soon anyway. "Just let me do this! I have to anyway! It's my fucking destiny or whatever that I have to die anyway! I didn't choose it, alright? Like I'm sure you didn't chose to be the lord of this town and be controlled by Nikolas."

"I am not…controlled," Ivan muttered and Alfred sighed heavily.

"Please just go," Alfred nearly begged. "I don't want you to get hurt, alright?"

"No," Ivan said clearly. Alfred bit his lip. "Why do you suddenly care for me so much? I assumed you would be happy if I was hurt."

"No, God no," Alfred shook his head furiously. "No, I…I just…it's just that I…It's complicated. I don't have time."

"You have until the sun rises," Ivan said simply and Alfred felt a lump form in his throat.

"_You don't want regrets before you die_," Arthur offered weakly. "_And he won't leave us alone until you say at least something that will make him leave us alone_."

"Y-you kissed me to distract Nikolas, right?" Alfred offered weakly and Ivan blinked in surprise. "A-And then I kissed you to distract you. And…and it worked…right? On…more than just you."

"_That's what you call a confession?_" Arthur asked and Alfred inwardly groaned.

"Are you saying that you-"

"Yes?"

"_Is that a question or an answer?_" Arthur asked and Alfred fought not to roll his eyes. Now was not the time to be snarky like that. His face was probably a florescent red by now, but he was thankful that it was dark so Ivan probably couldn't see that.

"Why?" Ivan asked. "Why now? And why?"

"I can't explain it, honestly," Alfred shrugged hopelessly. "And if it'll get you off, it doesn't matter if it's true, does it? It's not like I'll be around to prove it wrong or anything."

"Prove that you're not distracting me again," Ivan said, nearly at the point of laughing, but Alfred sensed a little pain in his words.

"My word not very trust worthy?" Alfred chuckled half-heartedly. Ivan just looked at him. "Fine…fine…but only because I've got time and only if you promise…_promise_ that you will leave and get somewhere safe."

"I promise I'll be safe, Alfred," Ivan said and Alfred felt his heart nearly break. Fuck…if he…if he did what he was about to do…Ivan would get hurt. Alfred would be gone, even if Ivan loved him back. It just wouldn't fucking matter. Alfred forced back the tears starting to prick at his eyes.

And then he did what he sure as hell didn't have the guts to do and closed the already small gap between the two men and lurched forward to kiss him. Ivan obviously was not convinced and so Alfred simply advanced it further and Ivan reacted simply, refusing to take the submissive role in anything, as usual. But Alfred fought back harder this time and he definitely felt the pool of heat in his stomach as they both advanced a little further and a little further. Arthur retreated fairly far back into Alfred's head.

Alfred hadn't even noticed that they were walking backwards until he moved his foot back and it was met with nothing but air and he gasped, doing the first thing that came to his mind and that was to latch onto Ivan around his shoulders, his head winding up perilously close to Ivan's chest.

"Fuck you," Alfred breathed.

"You apparently don't have the time for that," Ivan chuckled half-heartedly.

"And Nikolas?" Alfred asked hesitantly when he found that he wasn't really moving.

"He wants me to drop you," Ivan smiled. "But I don't want to."

"Kay, good," Alfred nodded. "Now, please, I swear to God, if you believe me, get somewhere safe."

"I said I would _be_ safe, Trickster," Ivan smirked, stepping back and allowing Alfred to regain proper footing and tentatively remove his arms from Ivan while he glared at him. "I will be fine where I stand."

"So fucking helping me," Alfred warned, pointing a finger at him. "You're not allowed to get a single scratch on you."

"Then be careful," Ivan laughed. Alfred glared even more.

"_We can't waste any more time, we don't know how long it will take you to gain all of the energy you need_," Arthur warned and Alfred nodded, shaking.

"I'm sorry," Alfred muttered, bumping his forehead against Ivan's lightly. "God dammit, I really am. Now just take a step back, alright?"

Ivan nodded wordlessly and took a deep breath before stepping back. Alfred nodded before closing his eyes. He decided to focus on one thing and one thing only, focusing all of his energy and magic at once. He had never done something like that before, it had just been what he needed for spells and nothing more. He started with what he usually did for when he would study magic, except without the circle around his feet.

He felt pressure building in his chest and he figured it was correct because Arthur thought it felt familiar. He really had no idea how much magic he had in him until that moment, really. His chest felt like it was about to explode, if he was honest, but he hadn't even collected all of this magic energy yet. His thoughts flickered to Ivan once and he nearly lost everything, but swallowed thickly and forced all of the magic to stay still. Finally, at about halfway, he started feeling pain.

It was dull at first, easy to ignore, but then the pain started to grow. Slowly. Until Alfred could barely handle it. It was searing, like it was tearing him apart from the inside. He was sure he muttered something under his breath but he just couldn't quite hear himself. He felt like he was about to vomit from the force of the magic churning inside of him.

"_Are you ready?_" Arthur's voice was painfully small and incredibly far away. Alfred faintly nodded as best as he could and his head felt like it was about to fall off. God, how much magic did he really have in him? "_I'll set off the charges with my magic. Be ready_."

Alfred couldn't hear anything of the outside world, if he was going to be honest. He would have to rely on Arthur telling him that he was ready to go. He was shaking, or was that something else? He would never know, he assumed.

"_Three_," Arthur muttered and Alfred felt a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. He felt horrible leaving things as they were, but he had to, he didn't have the time to iron anything out. "_Two._" Alfred waited. He had to cue it right. The same time as Arthur. "_One._"

* * *

><p>Ivan stood, apprehensively, as he watched Alfred in front of him. For a while, Alfred just stood there, immobile for some time. Ivan wondered if this plan of his was working at all. Then he let out this strangled cry of pain and Ivan flinched. He was in pain? He had never said anything about it.<p>

"_This is your last chance to kill him_," General Winter was enraged. Ivan was fighting him back with all of the strength that he had, forcing himself to stay still as much as he wanted to walk towards Alfred, either to help him through the pain or…or to kill him…Alfred screamed even more and Ivan could clearly see all of the magic swirling around him. It was…incredible, beautiful, even. But Alfred looked like he could barely stand. He nodded vaguely, most likely to the other Trickster. Ivan blinked and shook his head when he nearly felt himself go to the back of his own head. He took a small step back, away from Alfred.

And then it felt like all of his world shook. One second, it was pitch black and the next, he was blinded by light around him and he flinched. The sound was incredible and he had no idea how to react. It was astounding how the manor stayed in one piece, considering how close the explosion at the wall was, but Alfred did make sure that everyone would be safe, didn't he?

Ivan could barely see Alfred fall limply through it all and he moved forward just as everything was replaced with quiet and darkness once again. It didn't last long, as he soon heard nearly every person in the town talking at once. Ivan didn't even bother to look at the wall as he dropped to the ground onto his knees next to Alfred, his heart racing and his thoughts praying.

"Alfred," Ivan muttered, his hands shaking. General Winter was incredibly enraged, to the point where Ivan was nearly seeing red. But he looked at Alfred, hoping, wondering. Alfred was completely still, no magic glittering around him. But Ivan could see two auras clearly. Alfred's blue was flickering, dying, fast. Ivan had to think of something he could do, but General Winter had a firm lock on all of his limbs, ensuring that he couldn't move, even if he wanted to. "Alfred…" The green aura was weak as well, but stronger than the blue, a new sight. Alfred's face was still, he wasn't breathing. _He wasn't breathing_.

The green aura disappeared in a second and the blue aura grew stronger and Ivan froze. The control of his limbs returned all at once and his mind felt…free, open…alone. No thoughts, murderous or otherwise came into his head that were not his. General Winter was…he was…gone? Ivan felt small tears of relief well up in his eyes as he looked to Alfred. He was still as death, but he was breathing and his aura was strong. Ivan breathed a heavy sigh of relief. The other Trickster…he had sacrificed himself for Alfred? Ivan wanted to kiss him right there, in that moment, even if Alfred had been lying to him.

Now…there was only one problem and he was sure Alfred wouldn't be pleased.

* * *

><p><strong>That escalated rather quickly…Oh, well, it was perfect. I'm sure you guys can all guess what happened, but I will further elaborate next chapter, which will be the last chapter in this story. Now, I'm not gonna have much of an author's note in the last chapter so y'all can just enjoy it and all that junk, so Imma just say this all right here, so be ready.<strong>

**Thanks so so so freaking much to everyone who read and reviewed, I love all of you and you guys are pretty much the only reason I wrote this. No matter how little people reviewed or favorite or anything, I looked at how many people read the last chapter and I knew I had to keep going, if only for the people who read quietly. So thank you to every single one of you guys that read through this.**

**I am going onto a different story after this, but it will sadly not be RusAme, rather it will probably be a USUK and the title shall be "Living Among the Shadows" if that interests anyone here.**

**In any case…thank you all so incredibly much for following this story, I look forward to seeing you all next chapter as well and I hope you all enjoyed this story as much as I did!**

**See ya next time!**


	31. The End

Chapter 31. The End.

Alfred couldn't feel. He couldn't…anything, really. He could barely come up with a coherent thought. This wasn't like when he would be passed out or asleep. This was just some kind of abyss or something. He was almost scared, but he couldn't even feel scared at this point.

A quiet voice. It was in the back of his head, whatever that was. It was…talking, yeah, that's what voices do. They talk. But he couldn't understand what it was saying to him. He just wanted to lull away…let the darkness around him take him whole. That would just be so nice. But the voice.

It got louder.

"_Alfred_," the voice said. That was his name…right? Was… For some reason Alfred got stuck on that one word…It _was_ his name… "_Alfred, for God's sake, listen to me._"

Alfred didn't say anything in reply, but acknowledged the voice, and it somehow understood him. Like it was in his head, understanding him.

Arthur.

Arthur!

Alfred, at the very least, remembered Arthur. The friend that had been with him for so long, or it seemed like it was a long time. He couldn't remember much, just incredibly tiny snippets here and there. Not enough to make up a memory.

"_Alfred, you're dying_." Alfred could figure that much. It was a lot nicer feeling than he thought it would be. "_You need to stop._" Stop dying? Like that was even possible… "_You're such an idiot. You used up more than just your magic._" He was going to die anyway.

Right…He was going to die anyway…How? The memories were swimming too far away for him to be able to catch them. Every time he thought of something, the thought seemed to vanish into thin air. What was he doing again?

Right. Dying.

"_You used your life force_," Arthur said clearly. That made sense. He was dying. "_I didn't._"

Alfred paused. Arthur was still…he was still alive…Alfred wasn't. No…No. No! Arthur had to stop.

"_I know exactly what you'll say about it_," Arthur scoffed. "_But you can't stop me. I've lived my full life, more than I should have. I've lived too long, you should at least let me stop living._"

No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Alfred wanted, with every fiber of his being that he had left, to stop Arthur in some way, shape or form. But Arthur was just kind of this…this thing in the back of his head.

"_Exactly, Alfred. I hardly exist anyway. You could use my life force more than I could._"

Alfred had to find some way to stop him from doing this, he couldn't just let Arthur kill himself for him.

"_Without me, no one will be around to use their magic to keep Nikolas around_," Arthur rationalized. "_Without me, Gilbert, Antonio, and Francis will no longer be immortal. Without me, you will have a life force back._"

Alfred couldn't let this happen, there had to be some way. He hadn't known Arthur for long at all, but they had bonded in some way, he couldn't let him just…give up his life force.

"_I haven't had much of a life in the first place_," Arthur said. "_You will spend my life-force better than I will, Alfred. You have to allow this to happen._"

No. Alfred refused. He would find another way.

"_There is no other way. If you allow me to live and not you, we will be an empty shell with a soul inside of it that can't do anything. Without you there, I couldn't control your own body. Allow me to die so you can live._"

Arthur was making good points, he really was…but…but…He couldn't just…just die…

"_Alfred, you are the only thing keeping me here. You have to let go or you will stay dead soon. You truly are dead now. You fulfilled your Trickster purpose and I'm sure you did well, all considering. You need to get up and live now. For both of us. Let go._"

Alfred couldn't just let him go. That would make him partially responsible for the death of his own friend. And the Trio, what would they say when they found out that Arthur didn't even exist anymore, but they still had to? To live out the rest of their lives…

"_Please, Alfred. I've helped you and done my own job as a Trickster, I believe I have done enough. It would be lovely to be able to have a nice rest._"

Alfred knew he would be crying if he had tears, if he could feel his physical body at all. More bits and pieces of memories flew by him and he tried to understand them, he really did. Too much was going on at once and it felt like his brain was starting to work backwards, understanding less and less as time went on. He didn't want to let go, though…He really truly didn't.

"_Alfred, you need to live_," Arthur said clearly. "_Count of three, are you ready? One._" Alfred was trying to panic, he really was. He just couldn't think clearly, his thoughts clouding and his brain backfiring on him. "_Two_." Arthur had made good points. He should be able to rest now, after everything that he'd done to help him. But it wouldn't be the same without someone in his head all of the time. "_…Th-Three…_"

Alfred had no idea why and no idea what possessed him…but he let go. And the voice was gone. It was quiet, deathly quiet. He didn't feel anything, his thoughts escaped him, flying every which way without his permission. He felt so alone…but he couldn't quite remember what his company had been.

* * *

><p>Alfred blearily opened his eyes, but quickly closed them right after wards. It was so fucking bright! He groaned and tried to move, but it felt like his whole body hurt and nothing felt quite right, either. Voices churned around him, but he couldn't focus long enough on a single one. He was awake. He was alive.<p>

He was alive!

Alfred tried to sit upright as fast as he could, but the world spun and he nearly felt like he was going to throw up. Gentle hands guided him back down. He was alive, he had to think this through. Everything was blurry around him, but he could feel and he knew he was on Earth, not somewhere else. He should have died with what he did, he knew he would have because he used more than the magic that he had…he used up his life force.

And then…

And now…

His head was quiet. He was alone with his thoughts.

Arthur…

"Arthur," Alfred croaked, his voice seeming distant, but alarmingly close at the same time. He tried desperately to focus on the shapes around him, trying to find out if they were faces or plants or something. But then he thought about Arthur…Alfred should have been dead, but Arthur sacrificed himself so that Alfred would be alive.

"Alfred," a calm voice said, snapping Alfred's thoughts into focus quickly. Ivan. Alfred felt a lump form in his throat at the mere sound of his voice and his vision started to clear, slightly. He could tell from what he already knew that he was looking at Ivan's violet eyes and he tried to blink furiously to clear his vision. "Alfred, you need to calm down."

"But…Arthur," Alfred muttered, shaking his head, which was beginning to throb. He closed his eyes tightly as he gripped onto his hair. Arthur was gone. Nowhere. His head was empty, he was alone with his thoughts. Arthur sacrificed himself so Alfred could live… "He's gone…"

"Yes, I know," Ivan said carefully, his voice swimming barely into focus. "His aura has disappeared."

Alfred blinked up at him, noticing how Ivan was sitting beside him, his head looking down, almost pityingly. Alfred slowly moved up, putting his hand up to stop Ivan when he tried to help him. Something didn't look quite…right, but he couldn't really place it, which was incredibly annoying. He rubbed lightly at his head and Ivan was being oddly…quiet. It wasn't very natural. In fact, it was extremely quiet.

"Ivan," Alfred said simply. "What's going on?"

"We are simply waiting for you to recover," Ivan offered a smile.

"Dude, I don't think you're gonna need to use that way of referring to yourself anymore," Alfred snorted.

"There's just more of us, genius," Gilbert's voice said and Alfred nearly froze, but quickly glanced over and he could clearly see four people. The trio as well as Matthew. They were no longer on top of the manor, rather they were in the forest, which was oddly void of people.

What Alfred noticed next, however, made his stomach drop in the worst way possible. He felt like he was about to puke.

"Shit," Ivan muttered under his breath. He knew. Alfred felt like he was having problems breathing, no matter how much breath he sucked into his lungs. Ivan forced him to look at his eyes. Oh, God…he didn't have an aura, either. "Alfred, you need to stay calm."

"I-I…I should've…I couldn't have…Arthur…he…only…" Alfred couldn't come up with coherent words at this point. He should have fucking realized sooner! Alfred's life force and magic had been completely gone and Arthur only had enough to give Alfred back a life force. It made perfect sense he wouldn't have magic…Alfred had just never considered it. He had always had magic…What was he going to do without it?

"Calm down, Alfred," Ivan said calmly and it appeared that the other four were staying quiet while Alfred's panic died down. Ivan looked right at him, his eyes the color of his aura that used to appear around him. But it was all boring and plain…Everything seemed to lack the same color and charm that it used to. God, this was worse than that spell the mages had put on him to suppress his magic… "You are going to hyperventilate. Calm down."

"I," Alfred choked on the words that all seemed to try to flood out of his mouth at once. The magic that surrounded everyone, everything he saw, it was all just gone. How had he not noticed sooner? First he lost Arthur, now his magic? He felt like he was about to puke.

"Alfred," Ivan said clearly, ensuring that Alfred was only looking at his eyes, nothing else. "Breathe. It was not your magic that decided the man you would be. You decided what your magic would accomplish and you did a great job. Now you need to relax."

"I've had magic my whole life," Alfred whispered out in one breath and broke eye contact with Ivan only to allow his head to fall against the man's chest lightly. He felt tears pricking at his eyes, but didn't allow them to fall. No way in hell. Not in front of anyone, especially not Ivan.

"Yes, and I am sorry for what you have to endure now," Ivan said. He was unsure, moving his arms carefully and oddly around Alfred's back.

"Don't be awkward," Alfred muttered, attempting some form of humor, but he knew it didn't work. Ivan's hands dropped. "I used magic more than anyone… What am I supposed to do now?"

"Be strong enough to think of other ways to accomplish your goals," Ivan said, slightly amusedly.

"What goals?" Alfred laughed dryly. "Considering what I've done…what I hope I've done…what the hell else is there left to do?"

"Anything," Ivan shrugged and Alfred glanced up at him. His face was different without the magic and his aura and the black aura that used to surround him. He was so much more…childlike, innocent, simple. Alfred didn't mind it. He sighed heavily, leaning back and running a hand through his hair. His movements felt sluggish. They probably were. "The world is practically yours now. Would you like to at least see it?"

"Did I do something?" Alfred asked, nearly at the point of begging, but he controlled his voice. What if nothing changed? "Is there something else on the other side of that wall?"

"There is something out there now, yes," Ivan smiled. "You will have to see for yourself." Alfred took a deep breath, glancing back at the others. The Trio looked incredibly awkward, attempting to seem casual and leaning on the trees around them as they looked bored, attempting, with a lot of difficulty, to be silent. Matthew, however, seemed content staying quiet and allowing Alfred to have the time and space he needed.

"They don't…" Alfred glanced back, keeping his voice down. "They don't know…right?"

"About what?" Ivan smirked and Alfred growled at him.

"You know," Alfred muttered. "It's one thing I'd rather not deal with now. Let me deal with only a few hardships at once, thanks."

"Whatever you would like," Ivan smiled. It was kind of nice to see his face unobstructed by magic and auras, as dull as it seemed at first. All of the others, too. It was like it was new colors left to explore, not dull ones. He couldn't tell if the Trio still had magic in them or not, whether they really were still immortal or not.

"Right," Alfred nodded, clearing his throat so he could be a little louder. "Then let's head out, huh?"

"You sure you're ready?" Antonio asked immediately as the three looked over at him.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Alfred smirked and tried to stand, cursing when his legs failed him. Ivan stood, offering his hand to him. Alfred took it with only a small blush.

"So, we are going to have to think of some other title for you," Francis hummed. "After all, it seems the Trickster died late last night…"

"Yeah, Alfred's such an unawesome name to begin with," Gilbert laughed and Alfred rolled his eyes as he made it to his feet and tested his legs to make sure he could stay standing for a while. He nodded to himself and Ivan let go, giving him space as the Trio circled him, smiling, despite the obvious loss of their friend from 400 years ago.

"Whatever, Gilbert's the lame name, not Alfred," Alfred rolled his eyes. "Are you guys still…"

"Awesome? Absolutely," Gilbert nodded happily.

"No, we're not immortal anymore," Antonio said, with relief but a tinge of sadness.

"And…Arthur…" Alfred muttered.

"The loss is hitting us all," Francis sighed, patting Alfred's shoulder. "Though he would hit us harder if he could for just sitting around to mourn. So we will keep moving."

"Right," Alfred laughed just slightly. It was true, Arthur would at the very least be screaming at Alfred for taking so long to move anyway. He glanced around the three and got a look at his brother, who jumped slightly at the sudden eye contact. Alfred stumbled slightly as he took his first steps, but then got the hang of it and walked up to him, leaving the other four behind. The Trio obviously kept their distance from Ivan.

"Hey, dude," Alfred smiled at Matthew. "Been a while, huh?"

"I'm so sorry for the way I acted while you were running away," Matthew blurted out, his voice still quiet as usual. "The first time…"

"Dude, it's fine, I would have kicked your ass for trying something that stupid," Alfred laughed, starting to feel a little bit back to normal, at the very least. It would still take a while to get used to not seeing magic, let alone not being able to use it… "Sorry for being an idiot in the first place. That got caught…what, like, three different times?"

"You've always been an idiot, what's new?" Matthew asked and Alfred laughed, rubbing the back of his head.

"Okay, so have you all see what's out there yet?" Alfred asked.

"Just wait, kid," Gilbert smirked. "It's fucking awesome! Come on!" He already started walking forward with the other two and Matthew walked next to Alfred, while Ivan was behind them. Alfred glanced back at him and the man simply smiled. It was a much better smile than he had ever given before. Even if Alfred couldn't see his aura, he could tell that Nikolas really was gone. Arthur with him. Their heads were empty, they were free to make their own choices, have their own thoughts now. Ivan had been with Nikolas for years, too, unable to do anything of his own volition. He must have been so happy, nothing anyone did could bring him down at all. Alfred smiled right back at him.

They walked up to where Alfred clearly remembered the wall being, it was marked by a small pile of rubble and a huge pile of dust that spread around the circle of where the town was. In front of them, rather than a vast expanse of sandy grass and nothing else, there was lush green grass and trees scattered around. People milled around, some that Alfred recognized and some that he clearly didn't. There was no bloodbath that was evidently expected. They were just coexisting.

He couldn't see the magic, but as the wind blew past them and Ivan stood beside him, Alfred decided he hadn't seen a better sight. He wasn't a Trickster anymore, he had died with Arthur. Now Alfred was just…Alfred. Free to enjoy the world that he had helped create, or at least form slightly.

It wasn't exactly a happily ever after, but it was pretty damn close.

* * *

><p><strong>I do not own Hetalia.<strong>


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